A Guadalupe County man wanted on child sexual assault charges was taken into custody yesterday. Kenneth Lombard was arrested by the sheriff’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit and booked into the Guadalupe County Detention Center. He faces allegations including sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by exposure. Authorities have not released further details about the alleged victim or the location where Lombard was apprehended, according to FOX San Antonio.
Sheriff's office steps up pursuit of alleged predators
The arrest comes as Guadalupe County Sheriff Joshua Ray has made combating suspected child predators a top priority for his office. Fugitive teams have been tasked with focusing on these cases. “As long as I’m the sheriff in this county, we will bring every single law enforcement resource we have to bear to pursue them,” Ray told KSAT.
What the charges mean under Texas law
Under Texas law, indecency with a child by exposure is classified as a third-degree felony, while indecency with a child by contact is considered a second-degree felony. Sexual assault of a child is also generally prosecuted as a second-degree felony. These offenses are defined in the Texas Penal Code under §§21.11 and 22.011, as per Justia U.S. Law.
Recent related cases in the county
Lombard’s case is among several recent child-exploitation investigations in Guadalupe County. In May, prosecutors charged a Hays County corrections officer with aggravated sexual assault of a child, as reported by My San Antonio. In a separate case that same month, the San Antonio Express-News reported that a Seguin Main Street director was arrested on a child-pornography charge following a search of his home.
