BOERNE, Texas – A Kendall County man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for child sex abuse.
Geovanni Jesus Alvarez-Rodriguez, 25, was sentenced by a judge on Aug. 25. He was found guilty in May of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
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According to a news release from Kendall County District Attorney’s Office, the victim told a sheriff’s investigator that he was molested by Alvarez-Rodriguez, when was 9 and 10 years old.
Alvarez-Rodriguez confessed to the allegations and was arrested, officials said. Soon after the arrest, the child recanted his story and said he made it up.
During the trial, experts testified that it’s not uncommon for victims of child sex abuse to recant their stories.
“About 1 in 4 children who disclose sexual abuse will eventually recant,” said Stephenie Cantu, program director for Kids’ Advocacy Place. “This is due to a number of reasons, most commonly being pressure from family members or the offender, but also stress from the judicial process, financial strain, wanting to return to the state of secrecy, etc.”
During the sentencing phase, the defendant’s probation officer testified that Alvarez- Rodriguez told him to “shut your mouth before I slap the f*** out of you,” the news release said.
Alvarez-Rodriguez took the witness stand and said that Kendall County is corrupt.
The defendant’s attorney asked for five years in prison but Judge Kirsten Cohoon disagreed and sentenced Alvarez-Rodriguez to 40 years in prison.
Alvarez-Rodriguez will have to serve at least half of that time before he is eligible for parole. He was transferred to federal custody where he awaits sentencing on additional charges of human trafficking or smuggling.
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