SAN ANTONIO – Updated Friday at 10:30 a.m.:
Mark Benavides was released from the magistrate's office late Thursday night after posting $500,000 bond. (Click here to view video.)
Original Story:
A San Antonio attorney was charged with sexual assault of a child Thursday, adding to the 35 other sexual assault charges he was indicted for in April.
Mark Benavides is also accused of recording sexual encounters with nine of his clients in exchange for legal services.
Benavides declined to comment when asked about the new charges.
The new indictment claims that on Jan. 29, 2011, Benavides “intentionally and knowingly” had both oral sex and sexual intercourse with a girl under 17. It doesn’t explain how Benavides know the girl, but the indictment said a video of the sexual acts was found in November 2015. That’s when Benavides was originally arrested and accused of coercing clients to have sex with him for legal help.
At the time of his arrest last year, Benavides told KSAT that he was innocent.
“They're all false accusations,” he said last year. "It's very frustrating when you try to help somebody, hold their hand through the process, and then they turn around and stab you in the back by making stuff up about you."
In April, prosecutors said Benavides recorded 250 videos of his sexual encounters with his clients. A grand jury indicted him on 35 counts of sexual assault and compelling prostitution. He posted the $250,000 bail and has been wearing a GPS monitor ever since.
Benavides’ current bond is set at $500,000, and records show he posted bail himself.
The new indictment lists four separate charges of sexual assault of a child, raising Benavides’ total number of felony charges to at least 39.