Jury Ends Predator’s Control: 35-Year Sentence, No Parole

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- A Montgomery County jury has found Jason Rivera, 43, guilty of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 14 and delivered a 35-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Rivera’s sentence will be served day for day, without the possibility of parole.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Criss Cole and Clay Casey in the 435th District Court before the Honorable Judge Patty Maginnis. The jury returned its verdict on October 23, 2025, following a weeklong trial that revealed years of repeated sexual abuse against a child between the ages of 10 and 13.

Evidence presented at trial showed that the abuse began in 2021 and continued until the child’s outcry in April 2024. Medical examinations confirmed injuries consistent with sexual abuse.

Prosecutors told jurors that the defendant manipulated and intimidated the child, repeatedly telling her that no one would believe her if she came forward. In closing arguments, the prosecution emphasized the importance of the jury’s role in acknowledging her truth, stating: “The defendant told her that no one would believe her — but your verdict today shows that you do.”

The evidence also revealed that the child kept journals documenting the abuse, which the defendant destroyed when he discovered them. Prosecutors reminded jurors: “He might have been able to destroy her diaries, but he couldn’t destroy the truth.” Before and after the child’s outcry, the defendant attempted to attack her credibility by calling her a liar.

Prosecutors highlighted these manipulative tactics as further efforts to silence and discredit the victim. During punishment, jurors heard testimony about the lasting emotional impact the abuse has had on both the primary victim and another child, including struggles with trust, flashbacks, and questioning their self-worth.

In their closing arguments, prosecutors urged jurors to remember that mercy for the guilty is cruelty to the innocent — a truth reflected in the sentence delivered in this case.

ADA Criss Cole said, “Mr. Rivera spent years trying to silence a child through fear and manipulation, but that silence ended when our victim took the stand and spoke the truth. This verdict sends a clear message that in Montgomery County, justice will find you, and the truth will prevail.”

District Attorney Brett Ligon said. “This verdict shows exactly what justice looks like in Montgomery County — a predator exposed, a survivor believed, and a community protected. He spent years trying to silence the truth, but now he’ll spend every day of his sentence facing it.”