A Mustang Ridge man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Hays County jury convicted him on two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child. James Shope, 46, was given two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole and also received the maximum 20-year sentence for indecency with a child by sexual contact. District Judge Joe Pool ordered the life terms to run back-to-back and told the courtroom, “We don’t accept this in Hays County.”
Sentencing And Victims’ Testimony
The case began in August 2023, when two children reported that Shope had sexually abused them from their kindergarten years through their pre-teen years. Jurors said they believed the victims’ testimony and, as reported by CBS Austin, expressed sympathy for the girls as they took the stand. The panel ultimately returned guilty verdicts on all counts.
Investigation And Prosecution
The Hays County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant Criminal…..