Richmond, TX (Covering Katy News) – Jose Florentino Ortiz, 51, received a 57-year prison sentence for continuous sexual abuse of a young child and an additional two charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
After finding the Sugar Land man guilty, the jury assessed his punishment at 25 years, 16 years, and 16 years, respectively. Judge Steve Rogers ordered the sentences to run consecutively, requiring the defendant to serve 57 years in prison. Ortiz must serve at least 49 years of imprisonment before qualifying for parole, at which time he'd be 100.
"Evidence presented by Fort Bend County child abuse prosecutors Alycia Curtis and Craig Priesmeyer revealed that Ortiz began sexually abusing a girl in the mid-1990s when she was approximately five years old, a press release from the district attorney's office said. "He continued his abuse against her for over a decade before moving on to the girl's younger sister and a third female family member several years later."
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The jury heard testimony that during the sheriff's office investigation in the summer of 2020, Ortiz confessed to molesting two of the three victims and described himself as having a "pedophile mind."
"The scope of sexual abuse in this case, against three separate victims, was horrific,"lead prosecutor Alycia Curtis said. "But the girls showed incredible bravery coming forward and facing their abuser in court."
Ortiz testified at trial, attempting to walk back his confession and accusing the victims of making up and exaggerating the sexual abuse."
"This is what you get when we catch you abusing children in this county," said Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton. "I am proud of my prosecutors, the judge, and the jury for working hard to ensure that this man can never harm another child in his lifetime. I am especially proud of the young survivors who held the defendant accountable. We should all be so brave."
Curtis and Priesmeyer commended Sergeant Michael Alexander for thoroughly investigating the case. They expressed gratitude for the other agencies involved, including Harris Health Systems and Child Advocates of Fort Bend.
Continuous sexual abuse of a young child is a first-degree felony punishable by 25 to 99 years or life in prison with no parole eligibility. Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child is also a first-degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years or life in prison. Both offenses require lifetime registration as a sex offender.