Isaac Aguirre, 30, formerly of San Marcos, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for seven felonies, including continuous sexual abuse of a child, according to a press release from Hays County DA Kelly Higgins.
Hays County District Court Judge Sherri Tibbe sentenced Aguirre on Nov. 25. A Hays County jury had found Aguirre guilty on Sept. 30 of seven felonies: continuous sexual abuse of a child younger than 14 years of age, sexual assault of a child, two counts of online solicitation of a minor, two counts of injury to a child and tampering with a witness.
The evidence showed that the defendant had sexually and physically abused his victim from approximately the age of 7 or 8 years old until the age of 14. The physical abuse included physically beating the child victim with a hanger and a belt, as well as punching her in the face with a closed fist, according to the press release.
Testimony revealed that Aguirre prevented the victim’s cooperation with law enforcement by threatening her and continuing to abuse her even after she was removed from his home and placed in the foster care system. The evidence also showed that the defendant possessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of the victim, which he eventually destroyed in an effort to avoid prosecution, according to Hay County. The defendant testified in the trial and denied the abuse apart from physically beating the victim with a belt.
After the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts, the case was reset for a punishment hearing in front of Judge Tibbe. During the sentencing phase of the trial, additional evidence was presented that the defendant had committed aggravated assault, causing serious bodily injury against a third party, devised a plan to murder a judge and others involved in his case and physically abused multiple romantic partners, animals and another minor child, according to the press release. His phone searches showed an obsession with deviant pornography, serial killers, child rapists and uncensored media of victim deaths or autopsies. The foreperson of the jury returned to the courthouse to hear the defendant be sentenced by the court.
This case was investigated jointly by Hays County Sheriff ’s Office Corporal Chase Crow and Corporal Nelson Wray and San Marcos Police Department Detective Logan Murphy, Corporal John Dehkordi, Detective Chris Marroquin and Detective Luke Begwin. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Cassidy Story and Katie Arnold. The ADAs were assisted in this case by Victim Assistance Coordinator Sandra Groters, Legal Assistants Colton Jayroe, Diana Spencer and Cristina Kearbey and District Attorney’s Office Sgt. Investigators Shane Teague, Erica Saenz and Christopher Limmer.
“The defendant’s intimidation tactics delayed justice for four years, preventing the victim from feeling safe enough to reveal the physical and sexual abuse she suffered behind closed doors. The Judge’s sentence ensures that she can finally have peace knowing that she — and many others — are protected from him,” Story and Arnold said.
During closing arguments in the punishment hearing, the defense downplayed the seriousness of the charges by asserting that no life had been taken. When pronouncing Aguirre’s sentence, the Court directly responded to the defense’s argument, characterizing Aguirre as a “soul murderer” because victims of child sexual abuse will have to endure their trauma for a lifetime.
ISAAC AGUIRRE
