Judge Gives Bowie County Child Molester 125 Years

NEW BOSTON, Texas–A judge in Bowie County sentenced a De Kalb man to a combined 125-year prison sentence Thursday for the sexual abuse of a 9-year-old girl that occurred more than 25 years ago.

A jury found Lance Wade Wilson, aka Anaya Janelle Wilson, 55, guilty of five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child on Wednesday. Wilson, who legally their name last year, opted to have the judge determine his punishment rather than a jury.

Judge Jeff Addison of the 102nd District Court considered additional evidence and arguments from the state and defense Thursday before sentencing Wilson to 25 years on each count with the terms to run consecutively. Judge Addison also ordered Wilson to pay a $5,000 fine on each count, for a total of $25,000.

The victim, now an adult, came forward with an account of repeated sexual abuse by Wilson, a relative, that happened in 2000, according to court records.

Assistant District Attorney Katie Carter, who represented the state at trial, told TXK Today on Thursday, “Justice for this victim was a long time coming.”

“Her words from the witness stand were incredibly powerful,” Carter said.

Carter said the victim testified that she “carried this shame for many years until I realized it was not my shame to carry.”

Carter added that she hopes the guilty verdicts from the jury and Judge Addison’s decision to impose a 125-year sentence “help her in the healing process.”

The victim reported the abuse in 2019, according to court records. Wilson, a relative of the victim, sexually abused her repeatedly in multiple ways. Wilson made the girl and a juvenile male relative watch pornography and made pornography available to them. Wilson kept a journal detailing some of the sexual abuse.

Investigators searched Wilson’s tractor trailer cab in 2019 and again in January this year. During the search this year, investigators seized a laptop, a cell phone, and several digital storage devices. Without the password, investigators could not examine the contents of the laptop, court records state.

No evidence was found on the phone but images of child pornography were discovered on two thumb drives, one of which was labeled “music” and the other of which was labeled “phone,” according to court records.

Wilson is currently being held in the Bowie County jail awaiting transport to the Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice.

Wilson is represented by Texarkana lawyer John Delk.