Posted on 08/26/2009 10:33:51 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
A 27-year-old Beeville man accused of plying middle school girls with drugs and alcohol and then having sex with them was sentenced Thursday to 317 years in prison.
The five-man, seven-woman jury deliberated for about 30 minutes Thursday morning before finding Joe Richard Jasso guilty on all six counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, each count a first degree felony offense punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The jury also convicted Jasso of one count of sexual assault, a second degree felony offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
District Court Judge Janna Whatley ordered Jasso to serve four of the life sentences concurrently — at the same time. After he has served that sentence, he is to serve his 20-year sentence. After that sentence, he is to serve another life sentence and once that sentence is served he will have to serve his sixth life sentence.
Jasso showed no emotion when he heard his fate but did tell Whatley he would appeal the six verdicts.
Jasso pleaded guilty to the count of sexual assault of a child. Prosecutors said Jasso had sex with a 15-year-old girl. Because of her age he was only charged with a second degree felony.
Jasso denied having sex with 14- and 13-year-old girls. Because they were not over 14 years old he was charged with aggravated sexual assault.
The girls testified that Jasso gave them alcohol and marijuana before having sex with them in 2004.
District Attorney Martha Warner, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the state, said the girls only came forward when one of them found out that Jasso had returned to Beeville.
Another girl came forward after hearing that Jasso had been indicted for having sex with the other middle school student, Warner said.
“Mr. Jasso preyed on young girls who were on the verge of dropping out of school, who lacked self-esteem, who thought he loved them,” Warner told jurors. “You don’t want this kind of predator in our community. You need to send a message to others like him that we will not tolerate 22-year-old men giving 13- and 14-year-old girls alcohol and marijuana and then having sex with them.”
The girls testified they were terrified of Jasso because of all his scary tattoos, some of them pictures of skulls and other pagan symbols, and because he had threatened to kill them and their families if they told anyone about his involvement with them.
Jasso admitted he gave the girls booze and marijuana but denied he threatened the girls or their families.
“They’re damn liars,” he told the jurors during the sentencing portion of the trial on Thursday. “I don’t know why they brought that crap in here.”
Warner told jurors there was no reason for the girls, who were unrelated, to make up the stories against Jasso.
She asked Jasso if he could explain how it is that all the girls had similar stories to tell about his sexual advances.
Jasso said Beeville is a small community and that perhaps the girls conspired against him. He did not elaborate.
Jasso’s attorney, John Tinder, told jurors that the girls’ testimony contained many inconsistencies and improbabilities.
For instance, he said, one of the girls testified she performed oral sex on Jasso but was unaware he had only one testicle.
And one of the girls testified that Jasso came over to her home in the Capehart subdivision every morning for a month and had sex with her.
Tinder reminded the jury that an adult caregiver who came over to the house daily testified she never saw Jasso at the home in the morning hours. And, Tinder told the jury, how was it that Jasso could have sex with the girl in the home and the girl’s parents be unaware.v
“five-man, seven-woman” “jury” what kind of defense laywer did this guy have and did he sleep though the trial. I personally know a number of 12 - 16 year old girls who are complete sluts, and would gladly lie to save thier own skin.
I see your point. Women are often given great latitude in their testimony.
however, he admitted to giving them booze and drugs. Theres only one reason a guy like that would do that.
I have no problem with this guy being out of the general population.
And as for madoff, he’s just the tool. The people who allowed him to continue that fraud are the ones that should be in jail.
So the punishment for hanging around young girls is 300+ years?
And the ‘racist’ comment was sarcasm - if we question any liberal agenda, we are racist. I question this verdict.
Bear in mind, what they did to this man, they can do to YOU. Just think, if 3 teenage girls decide to tell the court system that you gave them drugs and alcohol and had sex with them; you too get 300+ years.
Whether it really happened or not is immaterial.
Whether they have stories that are consistent is immaterial.
Whether or not they know what you look like under your clothes is immaterial.
The fact that there is no evidence that you were around them is immaterial.
The fact that one girl said you were at her house every day for a month, and a person who works at that house has never seen you is immaterial.
All that counts is the good word of some girls. Because, after all - Good girls never tell lies - right?
That can't be emphasized enough.
If a woman did this, it's perhaps some bad publicity. After 6 months, she can put it behind her and get on with life.
If a man does this, life in prison and people screaming for his death.
No collorabating medical evidence, no pictures, no witnesses - the girls didn’t say anything until he came back into town. Seems that IF something happened, it was not forced - but we don’t have any evidence that anything did happen.
^^^
This guy is most likely guilty of something, but I also smell a rat here.
lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas
and freepers would be arguing if she were guilty based upon her mug shot.
Yep!
anybody can be framed.
theres a reason a 23 year old guy shouldn’t be hanging around with a bunch of underage girls. let alone hanging around and getting them drunk/high.
when you do stuff like that it makes it much easier for some screwed up teens to mess up your life.
Meanwhile the lockerbie bomber is partying as a free man in Libya.
I remember years ago, the owners of “McMartin Pre-school
near Los Angeles were indicted on 160 counts of child molestation by an ambitious District Attorney up for re-election. All indictment were based word of little children(who had all been brutally coached by child advocates).
The McMartins were jailed for 5 years, beaten, and bankrupted.
Verdict? 160 counts not guilty!!
Ira Reiner, the DA set the whole thing up.
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
few questions here. Particularly damning is the girl who didn't notice that the man only had one testicle. Pretty hard to miss something like that.
Also wondering how many smoking hot female teachers who molest 15 year old boys, would be going up for 300+ years.
What a world we live in where good people (FReepers) are forced to think twice about cases like this.
hey, spell check said it was goooood.
Jasso will probably become an expert on testicles in the Texas Penal System.
But isn’t the entire purpose of the Justice system to determine the TRUTH and punish the crime that was actually committed?
C’mon....300+ yrs for associating with underage girls!! Stupid, yes. Immature, yes. Where were the parents? All he’s guilty of is providing booze and drugs to underage girls. He should be tried for providing drugs and alcohol to minors - and give the same treatment you would give any other idiot who does the same thing.
We have no evidence, none, nada, zip. We have conflicting stories from the girls, we have witnesses who worked at the scene of a crime that the guy was accused to have visited EVERY DAY for a month - who have never seen him before.
And an ‘impartial jury’ found this man guilty; and a ‘judge’ sentenced this man to 317 years based on mere stories??!?
The purpose of the Justice system is to deal in facts, not stories ... hard, concrete facts. What may have happened, what could have happened is pure conjecture.
Now, if you wish to subject yourself to a Salem Witch Trial sort of court system, you are welcome to it. I however, dispise Napoleonic justice; and espouse the whole ‘innocent until PROVEN guilty’ approach. I see no proof offered.
Don’t Mess With Texas’ kids.
Lock him up. The country is safer without him in it.
But....I still think that two of my points stand. Namely, that 1) If genders were reversed, the perp would be getting a slap on the wrist. and 2) The society that we live in stinks in that good people need to question the prosecution of a perv like this...and question the motives of the journalist reporting.
Man, what a waste. I am really torn when I read these stories...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.