Acosta sentenced to life for indecency with a child

Acosta sentenced to life for indecency with a child News Staff Tue, 07/23/2024 - 4:13 pm Norman Acosta, found guilty of indecency with a child by sexual contact, walks out of the 90th Judicial District courtroom Tuesday, July 16, after the second day of the guilt/innocence phase of trial. He was sentenced the following day to life in the correctional institutions division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Photo/Mike Williams X Mike Williams news@breckenridgeamerican.com A Breckenridge man will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after a jury handed down a life sentence after being convicted of indecency with a child by sexual contact. Norman Acosta, 60, was found guilty of the charge after just over 30 minutes of jury deliberations Tuesday, July 16. The following day, Acosta pleaded true to two charges listed in the habitual felony offender enhancement paragraphs during the punishment phase of the trial and was sentenced just over an hour after closing statements. Acosta was sentenced to life in the correctional institutions division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine, $290 in court costs and $265 in reimbursement fees. “We’re both very happy with the outcome. We knew from the beginning that (the victim) deserved justice and we knew this was going to be a hard case because there wasn’t a lot of evidence. It was very much a ‘he said, she said’ case, but the jury did their job,” Assistant District Attorney Jamie Petruzzi said. “It means that a known registered sex offender is off the streets and can’t do this again to another young victim. It shows this community cares about their children, it cares for their vulnerable people and is willing to stand up for them.” Acosta was indicted May, 25, 2023 by a Stephens County Grand Jury on the charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact after being arrested in March 2023. The indictment came with habitual felony offender enhancement paragraphs after being convicted of murder in Jones County and engaging in organized criminal activity in Eastland County. Acosta was eligible for the enhanced sentence after pleading true to both paragraphs. He was arrested March 13, 2023 and has remained in the Stephens County Jail on a blue warrant for probation violation from his August 2014 conviction in Eastland County. According to the complaint filed by the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, the office was contacted March 13, 2023 regarding a possible sexual assault. The teenage victim, identified as Jane Doe 00048, reported that they had been touched inappropriately by a family member.SCSO Chief Deputy Justin Rose asked if the victim would like to speak with him or a representative from Virginia’s House.With the victim’s mother’s permission, the victim spoke with Rose. The victim told Rose that in January they were asleep on a couch when they woke up to the feeling of someone touching them being their legs. After realizing the victim was awake, Acosta moved to the other end of the couch and asked if he could do it again. When the victim told Acosta no, he told her to not tell her mother. Rose wrote that the incident, which took place on or about Jan. 19, 2023, was brought up when the victim’s friend told her about something that had happened to her when the friend was younger and the victim had started crying. After the victim and friend spoke with the victim’s mother, the mother contacted law enforcement. “I would like to thank the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Justin Rose and Sheriff (Kevin) Roach, as well Dr. Goodall’s House, for assisting all of us (in) bringing justice,” District Attorney Dee Peavy said. News