99 Years, No Parole, For New Boston Man Who Raped Girls Repeatedly

NEW BOSTON, Texas–A Bowie County jury sentenced a man to 99 years in prison without the possibility of parole last week for continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.

James Augustus Brantley, 42, was convicted of molesting one of the girls repeatedly beginning when she was 12 at a residence in New Boston. That girl, now an adult, and her sister, also an adult, both testified at trial that Brantly abused them during a time when he was dating their mother, according to records.

Assistant District Attorney Christina Cummings Flanigan told TXK Today in an email Friday, “The Bowie County District Attorney’s Office is extremely proud of the young women who testified about vulnerable details from their childhood 13 years after the fact.” 

“May this jury’s verdict serve as a message to the victims, the defendant, and the rest of this county,” Flanigan said. “This jury’s verdict will ensure that James Brantley will never again be able to hurt another person.”

Flanigan praised investigator Jerl Palmore of the Bowie County DA’s Office for his work on the case, noting that Palmore testified at the trial regarding Brantley’s “habitual criminal conduct, including several convictions for narcotics possessions, as well as a firearm charge, and an assault on a family member.”

“Investigator Palmore further testified that Brantley previously shot his own father and has a reputation for being a drug dealer and an enforcer for a now-deceased drug dealer who served time in federal prison,” Flanigan said.

Flanigan further noted the efforts of Investigator Cliff Harris.

“In 2025, Investigator Cliff Harris with the Bowie County District Attorney’s Office uncovered new evidence, and the case was presented to a Bowie County grand jury,” Flanigan said.

Continuous sexual abuse of a child is punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison with no possibility for parole from any sentence imposed. Brantley is being held in the Bowie County jail while he awaits transport to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Prior to his conviction, Brantley’s bail was set at $1 million.

Fifth District Judge Bill Miller presided over the trial. Brantley was represented by the Bowie County Public Defender’s Office.

Flanigan represented the state.