An Austin man is facing what amounts to most of the rest of his life behind bars after a Travis County jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting a child, and a judge handed down a set of lengthy prison terms. The defendant, 48-year-old Francisco Villafranca-Funes, was sentenced Tuesday following his March conviction in Travis County District Court. Prosecutors said the punishment, which they describe as adding up to nearly 70 years, reflects both the severity of the crimes and the county’s resolve to hold child abusers accountable.
Sentence and Conviction
Villafranca-Funes was convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact. According to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, he was ordered to serve 60 years on each aggravated sexual assault count and 15 years on each indecency count, with all of the sentences running concurrently. Prosecutors outlined the detailed breakdown of the terms, as reported by KXAN.
Prosecutors' Response
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office said the case followed a months-long investigation, with victim services staff working closely with the family throughout the process. Officials pointed survivors and community members to the office’s online “Find Information About a Criminal Case” portal, which offers case-status updates and resource links, as described by the Travis County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors also used the case to underscore the importance of reporting suspected abuse and connecting survivors with support services.
Timeline and Legal Context
According to the DA and court records, Villafranca-Funes was arrested by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 9, 2025, indicted on March 24, 2025, and convicted by a jury on March 12, 2026, before being sentenced on March 30, 2026. Under Texas law, aggravated sexual assault is a first-degree felony that can carry a sentence of 5–99 years or life, while indecency with a child by sexual contact is an elevated felony with a maximum term of up to 20 years. Those statutory ranges help explain how the court arrived at the lengthy punishment in this case, according to the Office of the Attorney General. Local reporting has detailed how those legal guidelines framed the substantial sentence ultimately imposed.
