RICHMOND, Texas (Covering Katy News) – Nathanael Williams Stewart, II will serve 43 years in prison following his April 28 conviction for Continuous Sexual Abuse of Young Children.
A Fort Bend County jury found the 31-year-old Missouri City man guilty for crimes that he committed from 2015-2017. He was sentenced in the 400th District Court by Judge Edward Krenek.
According to lead prosecutor Tristyl McInnis, Stewart sexually abused two young children with intellectual disabilities over a two-year period. Despite the child victims initially disclosing the abuse to family members, the children were dismissed and silenced, which allowed the ongoing sexual abuse to continue unchecked. Eventually, the children disclosed the sexual abuse to someone outside of the family, who promptly reported the abuse to authorities.
A comprehensive investigation was launched by the Houston Police Department, leading to Stewart's arrest and prosecution. The Department of Family and Protective Services was also involved in the child abuse case.
"The children bravely disclosed the abuse to multiple family members, but instead of protecting the children, they protected the defendant and concealed the abuse," lead prosecutor Tristyl McInnis said. "Their actions allowed the abuse to continue. While nothing can undo the trauma these children endured, the verdict in this case takes a significant step toward justice and accountability."
District Attorney Brian Middleton says it took a great team working in unison to send the 31-year-old Stewart to prison.
"Many people worked tirelessly to support these children throughout the investigation and criminal prosecution that culminated in a jury trial," said District Attorney Brian Middleton. "Our sincere thanks to the attorney ad litem for the children, the CASA volunteers and supervisors, and the forensic interviewers and the Criminal Court Advocates at Child Advocates of Fort Bend. All these compassionate and dedicated people helped bring justice to these children and to this community."
Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Young Child/Children is a first-degree felony under Texas law, punishable by 25 to 99 years, or life, in prison with no possibility of parole.
Assistant District Attorneys Tristyl McInnis and Elizabeth Howard represented the State of Texas in this criminal case.