Texas Border Business
EDINBURG – An Edinburg man named Andres Lopez Flores, 45, was sentenced to 80 years in prison on Friday after being found guilty a day earlier of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child and Indecency with a Child by Contact.
The case began on January 31, 2020, when law enforcement was notified of a sexual assault allegation involving Flores and a minor child. Through the investigation, conducted by Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, it was revealed that the child had been sexually assaulted by Flores over the course of several years.
Throughout the trial, evidence and testimony showed the trauma the child endured throughout the years. On Friday, Flores was sentenced by a jury to 60 years for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child and 20 years for Indecency with a Child by Contact and he was fined $10,000.00 on each count. The judge ordered that the sentences shall be served consecutively for a total of 80 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The jury trial was heard by Judge Ysmael D. Fonseca in Hidalgo County’s 476th District Court.
“The jury’s verdict is an unequivocal statement that the Hidalgo County community will not tolerate those who prey on our most vulnerable population,” said Hidalgo County District Attorney Toribio “Terry” Palacios.
The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and the Hidalgo and Starr County Children’s Advocacy Center.
Assistant District Attorneys Laura L. Rodriguez and Nicholas Cuellar prosecuted the case.
