In Kyle, a 44-year-old man named Jacob Earl Shirejian has been sentenced to a total of 52 years in prison for the sexual assault of his girlfriend's young daughter.
The sentencing, which took place on January 8, included two first-degree felony counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two second-degree felony counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact. The evidence presented during the trial revealed that the victim was as young as 6 or 7 years old when the assaults began, and she kept the abuse a secret until her teenage years. Charges were filed after she disclosed the assaults to an adult.
Shirejian was found guilty on all four counts by a Hays County jury on November 7, 2023. The defendant chose to have the court assess punishment, leading to the sentencing on Monday by District Judge Tanner Neidhardt. Shirejian received two consecutive sentences of eight years for the indecency counts and two consecutive sentences of 18 years for the aggravated sexual assault counts. Due to the consecutive nature of the sentences, Shirejian must serve each sentence before the next one begins.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Jon English and Sean Szlachtowski. Kelly Higgins, the criminal district attorney for Hays County, emphasized the gravity of crimes against children, stating, "There is nothing more evil or more reprehensible than those who prey on children. My office will continue to prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law. We will continue to defend those who can't defend themselves."
