Man sentenced to 60 years in prison for continuous sexual abuse of a child

THE WOODLANDS, TX – On April 3, 2024, a jury convicted Ricardo Villarreal of the felony offense of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, and he was sentenced to 60 years in prison by Judge Patty Maginnis of the 435th District Court.

Prosecutors Jamie M. Sulla and Brittany Hansford presented evidence over two days detailing how Villarreal sexually abused a juvenile family member more than 50 times over 10 years. The jury heard the powerful testimony from the victim, who detailed how Villarreal sexually abused her throughout her childhood. Testimony revealed that after years of being threatened and abused both sexually and mentally by Villarreal, the child was able to finally garner enough courage at the age of 16 to tell someone about the abuse.

During punishment proceedings, the jury heard from another 11-year-old family member of Villarreal, who stated that he had inappropriately touched her as well. After considering all the evidence from the trial and the punishment proceeding, the Judge sentenced Villarreal to 60 years in prison. He will serve his 60-year sentence day-for-day and is not eligible for parole.

“Ricardo Villarreal’s reign of terror is finally over,” said Assistant District Attorney Jamie Sulla. “Thanks to the strength of the survivors of Villarreal’s abuse, and the work of law enforcement in this case, our county is safer today than it was yesterday.”

The District Attorney’s office stated that it was thankful to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for investigating this case and Children’s Safe Harbor for their role in giving children a safe space to speak. Because of their efforts, another child was able to confront her abuser and see justice prevail.

“Villarreal spent at least ten years sexually abusing children before he was brought to justice,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon. “This decades-long prison sentence says he won’t be redeemed or released until he is 114 years old. He deserves every second of every day of every year of this sentence.”