by | Published
FLORESVILLE, TX — A Wilson County jury has found a father guilty of sexually assaulting his 17-year-old biological daughter and sentenced him to 15 years in prison, prosecutors announced following a late-night verdict.
Robert Nichols was convicted late Wednesday evening, July 22, 2026, on three counts of Sexual Assault, a second-degree felony carrying a statutory punishment range of two to 20 years in prison. The jury assessed a 15-year sentence for each individual count.
During the trial proceedings, jurors listened to testimony from the victim, who was 17 years old at the time of the offenses, as she detailed the graphic abuse committed by her biological father.
The prosecution's case was reinforced by physical evidence analyzed by state forensic experts. Jennifer Trevino, a forensic scientist with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Corpus Christi Crime Lab, delivered expert testimony confirming that DNA recovered from the victim positively matched Nichols.
The underlying law enforcement investigation was led by Sgt. Joseph Martinez and Investigator Dan Small of the Wilson County Sheriff's Office, with medical evaluation and care provided by Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Melissa Gonzales.
Because the underlying offenses occurred prior to recent legislative revisions in state statutes, Texas law at the time of the crime prohibited judges from stacking prison terms for adult sexual assault convictions. Consequently, Nichols' three 15-year sentences must run concurrently rather than consecutively.
Under Texas parole guidelines, Nichols must serve at least 50% of his sentence—a minimum of 7.5 years in state prison—before he becomes legally eligible to apply for parole release. Prosecutors noted that Texas statutory guidelines were subsequently updated after 2025 to permit stacked terms for similar offenses moving forward.
"We are grateful for the unwavering courage of our victim who never faltered. She was willing to confront the person who harmed her, her own father, testify in open court, and endure rigorous cross-examination in pursuit of accountability. While the sentence is less than he deserved, it is the fault of the law (which was fixed for crimes after 2025) not our courageous victim," said Assistant District Attorneys Marc Ledet and Lorena Whitney in a statement.
