A Texas man accused of sexually assaulting children related to him, including a girl who said the abuse lasted years, was sentenced to decades in prison, prosecutors said.
A judge handed down the sentence Michael Eric Farrellof Seguin on Dec. 16, according to a news release shared Monday, Jan. 12 by the Comal County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
Farrell, 58, was sentenced to 40 years in prison aggravated sexual assault of a minor children under 6 and up to 20 years for felony indecency with a child under 14, prosecutors said. The sentences are to be served concurrently, according to court records.
His conviction comes after a jury found him guilty in a trial in July, according to prosecutors and court records.
Farrell “is not eligible for parole on the 40-year sentence and will be required to serve the entire term,” the district attorney’s office said.
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His defense attorney, Larry Dean Bloomquist, said Us Weekly On Wednesday, Jan. 14, that Farrell “was found not guilty of several counts” and “maintains his innocence of all charges.”
The case against Farrell, who was arrested in May 2022, stems from a 10-year-old girl telling her mother that Farrell, her relative, sexually assaulted her repeatedly over the years, starting when she was about 5 years old, according to prosecutors.
The girl also told her mother that the abuse happened “when she was visiting” Farrell, according to the district attorney’s office.
At the time, one of the girl’s brothers “also told her mother about the abuse Farrell had inflicted on them.”
His mother eventually confronted Farrell and called authorities, prompting Comal County Sheriff’s Department deputies to investigate.
Investigators learned that another family member, who was an adult, also accused Farrell of sexually abusing her as a child, prosecutors said. This victim said she was sexually assaulted by him between the ages of 5 and 11.
“During the trial, the jury heard testimony from the mother of the first victim about the scream itself and the great betrayal of trust that had been since she considered Farrell a father figure,” the district attorney’s office said.
Forensic interviewer Susan White of the Children’s Advocacy Center told jurors in the courtroom that child sexual abuse can have lifelong impacts on victims, according to the district attorney’s office.
All three victims also testified against Farrell at trial, according to prosecutors, who said Farrell eventually accused them of lying.
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“He failed to provide an adequate reason why the girls or the family, in this case, would have made up these allegations,” prosecutors said.
On Jan. 12, Farrell asked for a new trial, court records show. Bloomquist said we who also plans to file an appeal.
Seguin, where Farrell lives, is about a 35-mile drive northeast of San Antonio.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, a nonprofit organization that works with law enforcement to protect children, encourages the public to report suspected child sexual exploitation.
In 2024, the organization’s online CyberTipline received more than 20.5 million tips about possible suspects. child exploitation.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Helpline for children at 1-800-422-4453.