A Fabens man is sitting in jail without bond after deputies say a 16-year-old reported a sexual assault and helped them track down a suspect nearby on Saturday evening.
Ricardo Morales, 34, of Fabens, was arrested on NE Davis Street and booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on charges of indecency with a child and public intoxication. Authorities say deputies found the teenage victim at the scene. Morales is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
According to KVIA, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to NE Davis Street after receiving a report of a sexual assault. The 16-year-old victim gave deputies a description that led them to locate Morales nearby, a sheriff’s spokesperson told the station. KVIA reports that deputies took him into custody Saturday night and booked him into the county detention facility without bond.
Under Texas law, the offense of indecency with a child involves either sexual contact with someone younger than 17 or exposing oneself with the intent to arouse sexual desire. The elements of the crime are laid out in Texas Penal Code §21.11.
In cases involving sexual contact, prosecutors can pursue a second-degree felony, which carries a potential prison sentence of 2 to 20 years. Exposure cases fall under a third-degree felony, which can bring 2 to 10 years in prison. Convictions or juvenile adjudications under this statute generally trigger sex offender registration requirements. The Texas Department of Public Safety notes that contact convictions typically require lifetime registration, while exposure convictions often require registration for 10 years.
Morales remains held without bond at the El Paso County Detention Facility while detectives continue their investigation, KVIA reported. If prosecutors move forward with formal charges, a judge would set an arraignment date, and the case would continue through the local court system. The sheriff’s office has not released additional information about the alleged victim or about any prior criminal history for Morales.
