A Travis County jury on Feb. 13 found 32-year-old Misael Alexander Rodas Martinez guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact. Jurors sentenced Martinez to 35 years in prison without the possibility of parole, plus a concurrent 10-year term, and prosecutors said the sentences will be carried out in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The case began after an Austin Police arrest in November 2024 and moved to a grand jury indictment in February 2025.
Verdict and trial timeline
Jury selection in the case began on Feb. 9, and the state started calling witnesses and presenting exhibits the following day. After a weeklong trial, jurors returned guilty verdicts on Feb. 13, according to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
Sentence and reaction
Following the guilty verdicts, prosecutors and the defense reached an agreement on punishment. The judge imposed a 35-year sentence for the continuous-abuse conviction and a concurrent 10-year term for the indecency charge, with both sentences to be served in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
In a statement, District Attorney José Garza said, "Our office is grateful to our dedicated staff and law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to hold the defendant accountable and seek justice for the victim."
Legal note
Under Texas law, continuous sexual abuse of a young child is a first-degree felony with a punishment range of 25 years to life in prison. The offense and its penalties are set out in Texas Penal Code §21.02, which defines repeated acts of sexual abuse over a period of 30 or more days as an elevated offense.
How the case unfolded
Austin police arrested Martinez in November 2024 on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. A grand jury returned multiple counts in February 2025, including continuous sexual abuse, several counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The jury heard testimony and viewed exhibits over several days before reaching its verdict.
Local context
Prosecutors in Travis County have taken several high-profile child sex cases to trial in the past year, and juries have responded with lengthy prison terms, underscoring the county’s focus on trying these offenses in open court. Hoodline has reported on similar recent verdicts and penalties in the Austin area as local prosecutors move cases to trial when they say the evidence supports it. Similar recent verdicts
The sentences in Martinez’s case are final for now, although defense attorneys could still pursue post-trial motions or appeal the verdict. Officials say the punishment will be served in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, where the offender will be held under state supervision.
