Waco man sentenced to prison for propositioning child in his family for sex

WACO, Texas (KWTX) – A retired music sound system and organ repairman was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison for sexually propositioning a 13-year-old family member in May 2021.

Jurors in the 19th State District Court in Waco deliberated just six minutes before finding Guadalupe (Sonny) Juarez, 63, guilty of criminal solicitation of a minor. The jury of seven men and five women spent 30 minutes deciding Juarez's punishment.

Jurors had the option to recommend that Judge Thomas West sentence Juarez to five to 99 years and up to life in prison. The offense was upgraded from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony because Juarez, who did not testify during the two-day trial, was convicted in 1986 of robbery in Kingsville.

In jury summaries, Assistant District Attorney Will Hix, who prosecuted the case with Jessica Washington, encouraged jurors not to weigh a life sentence in the case, suggesting two alternative sentences that he said would attach of the importance of their pain.

Hix suggested a sentence of 13 years, which he said was the girl's age when Juarez asked her to have sex with him. Or, alternatively, Hix said, for those leaning toward the upper end of the sentencing range, 51 years, the age difference between the girl and Juarez would also be significant and appropriate.

“The speed with which this group of citizens reached their verdict is a direct result of the strength and steadfastness of the young girl who had the courage to come forward,” Hix said. “Our community will not defend those who harm children, or those who express intent to harm them. »

Juarez, who remained free on bail, must be credited with serving a quarter of his sentence before he can apply for parole. He rejected a plea offer from the prosecutor's office before trial for 10 years of deferred probation.

Darling, who challenged the Waco police investigation in the case, said he and Juarez appreciated the verdict and the jury's efforts. He said they would “evaluate our appeal options.”

“Sonny is disappointed to have been found guilty, but we believe justice has been served with a verdict close to the minimum,” Darling said.

The girl, who is now 16, said Tuesday she spent part of Memorial Day weekend with Juarez and his wife at their home in the 3100 block of North 28th. She said she was taking a nap and woke up to find Juarez standing over her, watching her sleep.

He asked her for her phone number, but she refused to give it to him. So he got it from his wife and started texting her in the afternoon, she said, adding that she thought texting him was “weird.”

While texting, Juarez said, “Let’s do something.” » She replied, “Okay, what?” and Juarez said, “Whatever feels good.”

She asked him what he meant and he replied, “going to the barbecue.” She told him she was going to get up from her nap, and Juarez replied, “I like to get up too.”

Later in the texts, Juarez told her how beautiful she was and that he loved her “a lot.” Juarez asked her if he scared her and she said yes.

“I would never do anything you didn’t want to do,” Juarez wrote. “What are you talking about?” » asked the girl.

“Only in person,” Juarez wrote. “If you come to my room, I will explain.”

The girl testified that Juarez told her to come to his room after his wife fell asleep, but she said she had no intention of going to his room.

She went out later that evening and Juarez approached her.

“I got this weird vibe from him,” she told the jury. “I told him I wanted to go inside. He was just looking at me weird.

She said Juarez rubbed her left arm and shoulder and then went into her bedroom. She said he asked if he could have sex with her and told her she couldn't tell anyone.

“I was shaking and I couldn’t speak or breathe,” she said. “It was just scary. I looked at a crystal doorknob in the room just so I could try to focus on something else.

She screamed and said she had a “panic attack” before texting her mother several hours later to come pick her up. In other testimony, Waco police Detective Jason Stone said he tried to call Juarez 14 times to try to arrange an interview with him, but Juarez never answered.

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