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ENNIS, Texas - An Ennis man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after sexually assaulting a child over a decade ago.
57-year-old Wilbert James Jones, Jr. was sentenced to life in prison for three counts of sexual assault of a child.
Wilbert Jones Jr. (Source: Ellis County)
In 2011, Jones met a 15-year-old girl during a homecoming party after he was released from prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Jones' groomed the teen and eventually sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.
The victim became pregnant, and the baby was born in 2012.
In 2020, a family member of the victim decided to come forward and report the assaults to the authorities.
Investigators say that Jones admitted to some sexual contact, but not intercourse.
A DNA test found Jones was the father of the baby.
The Ellis County District Attorney's Office said Jones tried to run away from detention officers, but was recaptured.
A jury found Jones guilty of three counts of sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony with a punishment ranging from 2-20 years in prison.
The jury enhanced each sentence to life in prison when they considered his aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
"It took courage for a family member to come forward and speak the truth and support the child victim; she opened the door that the child victim walked through on her journey to justice" said Ellis County and District Attorney Ann Montgomery in a statement.