Appeals court upholds child sex abuse conviction

The conviction and 50-year sentence a Bowie County man received for child sexual abuse was affirmed Thursday by a Texas appellate court.
Roy Dean Brown, 52, was found guilty in July 2016 in Bowie County of continuous sexual abuse of a child and sexual assault of a child. He received sentences of 50 and 20 years, respectively, which 102nd District Judge Bobby Lockhart ordered to run concurrently.

photo

Slim and Kristen Black

A 20-year-old woman testified that Brown assaulted her repeatedly from the ages of about 5 to 14. The woman said she became accustomed to engaging in sex with Brown to "earn" rewards, such as takeout food, cellphones and clothes.
Brown was the live-in boyfriend of the victim's mother from 1998 until the girl's outcry on Aug. 7, 2010, witnesses testified. The girl told her mother of the abuse at a family gathering. When confronted by the girl's mother, Brown quickly moved out and severed contact with longtime friends.
On appeal, Brown argued that the evidence wasn't sufficient to support his convictions. The 6th District Court of Appeals, headquartered in Texarkana, disagreed in its opinion.
Among the evidence mentioned in the higher court's opinion are the findings of a Department of Public Safety forensic scientist. Brown's DNA was found on bedding collected by law enforcement from the girl's bedroom after her outcry.
The appellate court also rejected arguments from Brown that the instructions given to the jury were flawed or that a juror who might have recognized one of the victim's family members should have been excused.
Brown is not eligible for parole on the continuous sexual abuse charge under Texas law. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice website, Brown is scheduled for release July 24, 2066, at age 101.
[email protected]

Upcoming Events