[url]http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11328850&nav=menu192_11_16_10[/URL]
CORPUS CHRISTI - Roel Ibarra, who was charged with molesting his ex-girlfriend's daughter, has been sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Ibarra was found guilty earlier Friday of aggravated sexual assault of a child and injury to a child.
During testimony, Ibarra's ex-girlfriend Belinda Garza testified that the defendant had been babysitting her two-year-old daughter in January of this year. Garza found suspicious bruises on her daughter when she returned home.
Doctors at Driscoll Children's Hospital told her the little girl had been sexually abused. Ibarra's defense argued the he abused the child physically, but not sexually.
Jurors didn't buy the argument and sentenced Ibarra to 60 years for the sexual assault charge and 50 years for the injury to a child charge. Both sentences will be served at the same time.
However, Ibarra didn't want the jury to decide his punishment and it didn't take long for the judge to make a decision.
"It is the further judgement of the court, Mr. Ibarra, that your punishment be assessed at the imprisonment at the Institutional Division at the Institutional Department of Criminal Justice for a term of 60 years with no possibility of parole," the judge announced.
While Ibarra and his family weren't taking the news too well, the victim's mother, Belinda Garza, was happy with it.
"It was a good verdict. I was hoping for life, but 60 is still good," Garza said.
That will be 60 years Garza knows she'll be safe from Ibarra. She has her daughter to take care of and a three-month-old whose fathered by Ibarra.
Garza said she still can't believe her daughter went through this.
"I can't believe he hurt my baby. She was only two. How can somebody hurt a child?" Garza asked.
Now that man that hurt her baby will be locked up, it is a relief for Garza and her two-year-old.
"She's a lot better. She's happier and everything. She's running around, she loves her little brother and everything," Garza said.
CORPUS CHRISTI - Roel Ibarra, who was charged with molesting his ex-girlfriend's daughter, has been sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Ibarra was found guilty earlier Friday of aggravated sexual assault of a child and injury to a child.
During testimony, Ibarra's ex-girlfriend Belinda Garza testified that the defendant had been babysitting her two-year-old daughter in January of this year. Garza found suspicious bruises on her daughter when she returned home.
Doctors at Driscoll Children's Hospital told her the little girl had been sexually abused. Ibarra's defense argued the he abused the child physically, but not sexually.
Jurors didn't buy the argument and sentenced Ibarra to 60 years for the sexual assault charge and 50 years for the injury to a child charge. Both sentences will be served at the same time.
However, Ibarra didn't want the jury to decide his punishment and it didn't take long for the judge to make a decision.
"It is the further judgement of the court, Mr. Ibarra, that your punishment be assessed at the imprisonment at the Institutional Division at the Institutional Department of Criminal Justice for a term of 60 years with no possibility of parole," the judge announced.
While Ibarra and his family weren't taking the news too well, the victim's mother, Belinda Garza, was happy with it.
"It was a good verdict. I was hoping for life, but 60 is still good," Garza said.
That will be 60 years Garza knows she'll be safe from Ibarra. She has her daughter to take care of and a three-month-old whose fathered by Ibarra.
Garza said she still can't believe her daughter went through this.
"I can't believe he hurt my baby. She was only two. How can somebody hurt a child?" Garza asked.
Now that man that hurt her baby will be locked up, it is a relief for Garza and her two-year-old.
"She's a lot better. She's happier and everything. She's running around, she loves her little brother and everything," Garza said.
