San Antonio police arrested 32-year-old Gilbert Castillo on Sunday after an arrest affidavit alleged he sexually assaulted a child he was watching while the child’s guardian was out at a grocery store. Investigators say the assaults may have continued for roughly three years, and records show Castillo was booked on a charge of sexual abuse of a child under 14. Authorities reported that the child was in Castillo’s care during at least some of the alleged incidents.
According to Fox San Antonio, the affidavit states Castillo was routinely watching the child while the guardian shopped and that investigators believe the abusive conduct stretched across a roughly three-year span. The outlet reports Castillo, 32, was arrested on a single count of sexual abuse of a child under 14.
What the charge can mean in Texas
Per Texas Penal Code §21.02, repeated acts of sexual abuse against a young child can be prosecuted as continuous sexual abuse, a first-degree felony that can carry decades in prison. Related provisions on aggravated sexual assault and other offenses in Texas Penal Code Chapter 22 may also apply when victims are under 14 and can bring similarly severe penalties. Any eventual sentence would hinge on which statute prosecutors choose and the evidence that holds up in court.
How investigators have handled similar cases
San Antonio police’s Special Victims Unit has been handling several high-profile child abuse investigations this spring, including the arrest of a veteran San Antonio teacher on continuous abuse charges in April. In those cases, detectives often piece together lengthy timelines from school, medical, and law-enforcement records and publicly urge anyone with information to speak up so they can identify any additional potential victims.
Anyone with information about Castillo’s case is asked to contact San Antonio police’s Special Victims Unit at (210) 207-2313, according to local reporting by KWTX. Officials also encourage tipsters to share information with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office so prosecutors can fully review potential charges.
