Man Who Repeatedly Shocked Disabled Daughter Receives 65 Year Sentence

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX -- On May 13, 2021, Anthony Maurice Jackson was convicted by a jury of Injury to a Child, a third degree felony, in the 9th District Court in Montgomery County, the Honorable Judge Phil Grant presiding. Due to Jackson's previous felony criminal history, his punishment range was 25 years to Life in prison, and the jury sentenced Jackson to 65 years in prison.

Testimony and evidence in trial showed that Jackson used a stun gun on multiple occasions on his 14-year-old daughter, a child who suffered from multiple severe disabilities. The stun gun used on the victim was a ViperTek Model VTS-989-1, a personal protective device which is capable of delivering a high power electric shock intended to cause pain and ward off attackers.

Tommieretta Gunner and Keyonna Gunner, two caregivers for the child who were friends with Jackson and were recruited by him to care for the child, were previously convicted for their use of the stun gun on the child.

Members of the Montgomery County Multi-Disciplinary Team including the Montgomery County Pct. 3 Constable's Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, the Montgomery County Forensic Center, CPS, Children's Safe Harbor, and Investigators with the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Special Victims Division discovered the abuse while investigating the death of the child. Much of the abusive treatment was captured in video that detectives recovered from the home. The girl's death was unrelated to the use of the stun gun, but it was discovered that the child died of toxic effects of two medications, neither of which were prescribed to her. Testimony during punishment demonstrated that the victim was not capable of administering medication to herself and her death was ruled a homicide. Although the child was hospitalized for altered mental status on two occasions prior to her death, Jackson observed her altered mental status and did not seek timely care for her during other episodes. The case was filed by Det. Chris Evans with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Shanna Redwine and Brittany Hansford.

Assistant District Attorney Shanna Redwine: 'The abuse this child endured during the months leading up to her early death was just as tragic and unnecessary as what caused her death. Children deserve honor, care, respect, and protection. Jackson showed his own daughter none of these things. We appreciate the hard work by members of Montgomery County's Child Abuse Multi-Disciplinary Team, and we appreciate the jury for seeing the truth of who this defendant is

District Attorney Brett Ligon: 'Accountability for Jackson and the others involved in this child's abuse has been a long time coming, but the day our office and law enforcement have long sought and which Jackson has long fled has arrived. Unfortunately, we could not save this little girl or rescue her from the torment her father inflicted upon her, but we can and did force this man to face the conscience of the community, and they have definitively spoken.'