(Scripps News Bryan-College Station) — A child’s letter to God disclosing sexual abuse brought to light a Texas man who “sexually traumatized not one but two innocent children” for several years, according to a district attorney’s office.
The Collin County District Attorney’s Office said 49-year-old Mark Elliott Jones of McKinney was sentenced to 35 years without the possibility of parole for the continuous sexual abuse of a child.
The Collin County District Attorney’s Office said 49-year-old Mark Elliott Jones of McKinney was sentenced to 35 years without the possibility of parole for the continuous sexual abuse of a child. (Collin County DA via KRHD)
Jones sexually abused a 10-year-old and 14-year-old he had “ongoing access to” for several years.
“It is a sad day in the community when we learn that a sexual predator has been abusing even one innocent child for years. But to learn that this predator sexually traumatized not one but two innocent children is simply unbearable,” said District Attorney Greg Willis.
A child’s parent reported the information to authorities, and an investigation led to the discovery of the second victim Jones had abused.
“One of the children’s parents found a letter their child had written to God in which she disclosed the abuse,” said the district attorney’s office. “The child was forensically interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, where both children disclosed details about the ongoing abuse.”
The continuous sexual abuse of a child has a minimum punishment of 25 years in prison without eligibility for parole, according to the district attorney’s office. A judge assessed the punishment for a term of 35 years in prison.
This story was originally published Aug. 29 by KRHD in Bryan-College Station, Texas, an E.W. Scripps Company.
