Texas (KTRK)- Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced on Friday that a Harris County court had sentenced a man to life in prison for the sexual assault of three minors.
Andrew Pete, 51, was charged and convicted of two counts of extremely serious sexual assault of a child under 14 years of age following a week-long trial.
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He allegedly repeatedly harmed a 12-year-old girl who was the daughter of a family friend after meeting them in a church in 2014.
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“This predator preyed upon the children of his friends and acquaintances, even exploiting them after meeting them at church,” Ogg said.
“He robbed these young girls of their innocence to satisfy his own desires, and he will never again pose a threat to children anywhere.”
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In addition, investigators discovered that Pete had a history of assaulting minors multiple times in Dallas County between 2003 and 2004. Pete was convicted of this offence in 2015.
Jury Heard Testimony
In 2004, another victim, the daughter of a close friend, accused Pete of sexually abusing her in Temple, Texas, in 1999, when she was 12 years old.
While determining Pete’s punishment, the jury heard testimony from the third victim. In court, Pete represented himself.
When Pete committed the crimes in Harris County, he was on bail in Dallas County, according to Assistant District Attorneys Edward Appelbaum and Janna Oswald.
Appelbaum stated, “He went from place to place, wreaking havoc on families and abandoning them to pick up the shards.” He was able to do what seemed to be impossible by earning the trust of three different families.