The 6th District Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction and sentence of a man who was found guilty by a Bowie County jury in 2019 of sexually abusing his ex-wife’s younger relative when she was a minor.
The victim came forward with the allegations against Jonathan Edward Williams, 37, as an adult and a childhood friend of the victim’s testified that she saw Williams touch the victim inappropriately when they were children.
Williams testified at trial and called both women liars. The jury believed the witnesses and found Williams guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact. The jury sentenced Williams to 30 years for aggravated sexual assault and 15 years on each of the charges of indecency. The indecency terms were ordered to run concurrently to one another but consecutively to the 30-year sentence.
Williams argued on appeal that the prosecutor engaged in improper arguments and that his defense lawyer performed below accepted standards.
The 6th Court of Appeals disagreed with Williams and issued an opinion affirming his convictions on all three charges and his sentence.
Williams is currently in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.