HOUSTON (KIAH) — According to a release from Harris County District Attorney’s office, James Joseph King, 75, was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and sentenced by a judge. The trial lasted 3 days last week.

King gave an impact statement on Friday after sentencing. King was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 5-year-old back in 2011.

“Child molesters are predators, and it is crucial to seek justice in these cases to hold them accountable for their actions,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. “This young girl’s family thought they could trust this man, but he betrayed them in the most horrific of ways.”

According to prosecutors, King was a friend of the victim’s family and when he hosted a party on May 8, 2011, the 5-year-old victim was allowed to stay overnight. After King’s wife went to bed, she was brought into the kitchen by him promising her a sundae. While they were alone, he sexually assaulted the child. He also tried to assault her again after she went to bed, but she pushed him off of her.

Back in 2020, the victim who was then 15, broke down in tears after telling her mom what happened. After the investigation by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, King was arrested. Assistant District Attorney Steven Belt and ADA Abraham Chopin were assigned to the DA’s Child Abuse Division and prosecuted the case.

“Our children are precious people in our community, and we wanted to send a message that no matter how long it takes to outcry, it will be taken seriously and he would be held accountable. Even though it only happened once, and the defendant did not have a criminal record, he needed to face the consequences for what he did,” Belt said.

“Our children in Harris County are a little safer today than they were yesterday,” Chopin said.