Kyle man sentenced to 60 years in child abuse case

A Kyle man was sentenced to 60 years in prison for two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Jose Nicolas-Gonzalez, 45, was found guilty in the case and sentenced on Thursday.

“It comes as no surprise that Hays County jurors have no tolerance for predators who target children,” Hays County District Attorney Wes Mau said. “Hopefully, this sentence will not only prevent Mr. Nicolas-Gonzalez from victimizing anyone else but also send[s] a message to others who are inclined to believe they can take advantage of children without consequence.”

During the case, jurors were told that Nicolas-Gonzalez assaulted a young female relative multiple times, beginning when she was approximately nine years old. Officials said he had access to the child on multiple occasions when a her mother took a relative to chemotherapy appointment as well as when she was at Nicolas-Gonzalez’s residence. Jurors were told that the defendant placed his hand inside the child’s clothes and sexually assaulted her.

The child was forensically interviewed at Roxanne’s House, Hays County’s regional child advocacy center, in December 2019 when she made an outcry of abuse to her mother.

Officials said Nicolas-Gonzalez’s attorneys attempted to argue that the claims of abuse were fabricated. The jury, however, returned a verdict of guilty on both counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. The jury then returned verdicts calling for 60 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on each count following a punishment hearing.

Senior Judge Dan Mills, who was sitting by assignment in the 453rd District Court, handed out the sentence.

Assistant Criminal District Attorney Catherine Schneider led the prosecution with assistance from Court Chief Ben Gillis. Officers and detectives from the Hays County Sheriff’s Office worked on the case.