EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A 76-year-old man was found guilty of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13 by the Las Cruces jury in Third District Court.
Thomas Smith, 76, was found guilty of criminal sexual penetration of a minor a first-degree felony and one count of criminal sexual contact a second-degree felony, according to the Third Judicial District Attorney.
The investigation into the allegations of the sexual assault was led by the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department.
The Third Judicial District Attorney says investigators learned the incidents began when the girl was 9 years old and went on for over a 4-year span. The victim reported the abuse to a friend, who told a teacher at the school.
The investigation involved the victim’s recounting at the safehouse interview, and interviews with her mother, sister and brother who lived in the home, according to the Third Judicial District Attorney.
The Third Judicial District Attorney says the sentencing will be held at a later date, with Smith facing over 20 years in prison.
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