BEAUMONT, Texas — A Southeast Texas man will be spending the rest of his life behind bars after being found guilty on three charges of sexually abusing a young girl.
A Jefferson County jury found Dustin Authement guilty on the three charges this week in Criminal District Court according to Jefferson County Assistant District Attorney Kim Duchamp.
Partway through the trial, which Judge John Stevens presided over, Authement fired his defense attorney and defended himself through the end of the trial.
He will be serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole on a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child as well as two 20-year sentences for two charges of sexual abuse of a child according to Duchamp.
"We are very pleased with the jury's verdict," Duchamp said, adding, "Credit goes to the victims, though, for being brave enough to come forward and go to court."
Authement had originally faced eight charges for abusing three different girls but prosecutors chose to try him on three charges related to one victim. She was 11-years-old when he began to abuse her and was 16 when it stopped.
The two girls who were victims in the other five charges testified during the trial Duchamp said.
One of those victims was 8-years-old when the abuse began and 13 when it stopped, The third victim was 11-years-old when she was abused by Authement.
"It was a very difficult week for everyone, including the jury," Duchamp told 12News.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.