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RICHMOND, Texas (KIAH) — A man who was held at gunpoint by a Sugar Land mother after he was caught sexually abusing her 13-year-old daughter was sentenced to life in prison, Fort Bend County prosecutors said.

Ivan Alejandro Robles, 41, pled guilty to the charge of continuous sexual abuse of a young child last week in Richmond. The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office presented evidence that Ramos was held at gunpoint by a woman who called 911 on Jan. 5, 2019 and told the operator that she was going to shoot Robles after catching him sexually assaulting her daughter.

Prosecutors said that the girl testified about the details of the abuse by Robles, which she said began when she was 5 years old and spanned over eight years. Robles also had a “depraved method” of punishment for the girl if she refused to perform sex acts, prosecutors said.

The girl also said she contemplated suicide at 10 years old as she endured the abuse, prosecutors said.

“Anyone that listened to the victim’s testimony was left emotionally shaken,” Fort Bend County Assistant District Attorney Jessica Ramos said, who was the lead prosecutor in the case.  “I asked the victim how she felt after bravely confronting her abuser in court. She said she felt free.  You could see the burden lift off her young shoulders. I could not be more proud of her for the courage she displayed during her testimony.”

The defendant’s attorney asked for leniency on behalf of Robles, explaining that the defendant had taken responsibility by pleading guilty to the charge and had no criminal history and requested the judge to sentence Robles to the minimum of 25 years in prison.

In her closing statements, Ramos said that she recommended a life sentence so that Robles would have to endure the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life, just as the victim would have to suffer the trauma caused by the defendant’s abuse for the rest of her life.

Judge Christian Becerra ruled for the life sentence for Robles, without the possibility for parole.

The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office works tirelessly to protect vulnerable members in our community which most often includes women and children. We zealously and relentlessly pursue justice for victims of abuse. We will seek the harshest punishment for child predators just as we did in this case,” District Attorney Brian Middleton said.