A Denton County jury has sentenced Aubrey resident Derrick King to life in prison on two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child, and also handed down a 20-year sentence for indecency with a child, along with a $10,000 fine. The punishment was made public today.
In a Facebook post, the Aubrey Police Department said prosecutors Alexa Galindo and Lauren Marshall presented the state’s case, with Criminal Investigator Jon Stovall and Victim Liaison Veronica Brunner assisting. The post stated that 367th District Court Judge Brent Hill “stacked the sentences” and described the child involved as “brave.” The department did not provide further public details about the timing or specific circumstances of the offenses.
Prosecutors and investigators named
According to the Denton County District Attorney’s Office staff directory, Alexa Galindo and Lauren Marshall work in the DA’s Child Abuse Prosecution Unit, and Veronica Brunner is listed as the office’s Director of Victim Services. The same directory also lists Jon Stovall as a criminal investigator, matching the roles identified in the police post. The DA’s roster is available on Denton County Texas.
Judge and courtroom
The county court page shows that Brent Hill presides over Denton County’s 367th Judicial District Court, the same judge the police post said ordered the sentences to be stacked. The formal judgment filed with the district clerk will specify whether the prison terms run consecutively or concurrently. The police post did not list a case number or attach any court documents.
What the law says
Texas Penal Code §21.02 defines continuous sexual abuse of a child and classifies it as a first-degree felony punishable by life in prison or a term of 25 to 99 years, according to state law. Indecency with a child appears in Section 21.11 and is typically charged as a second-degree felony, with a punishment range of two to 20 years and a possible fine of up to $10,000. Those statutory ranges explain how juries and judges can impose the lengthy punishments assessed in this case (Tex. Penal Code §21.02, §21.11).
Local context
Denton County juries have recently delivered long sentences in other child abuse prosecutions. For instance, a Denton jury last month sentenced Jordan Hagen to 40 years on multiple child sex counts after a teen was rescued from the West Oak apartment, as per Hoodline. That outcome and similar cases highlight a local focus on severe penalties in prosecutions involving young victims.
Formal court records are expected to include the judgment, case number, and the exact breakdown of fines and how the sentences are ordered to run. This article will be updated if the Denton County District Attorney’s Office releases an official statement or if additional details appear in court filings.
