BEAUMONT, Texas — A Jefferson County jury has sentenced a 37-year-old Southeast Texas man to 35 years in prison for indecency with a child.
Aaron Wayne Cotton, 37, who was originally charged with two counts of indecency with a child, was found guilty on one of the charges Thursday morning.
The jury sentenced him Thursday afternoon following the punishment phase. His sentence was enhanced due to previous felony convictions.
The punishment phase of the trial began immediately following the reading of the verdict on Thursday morning.
Before the court broke for lunch, prosecutor Sonny Eckhart was bringing up Cotton's prior criminal record.
Eckhart told jurors that Cotton has previous felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a gun and for robbery.
Testimony in the punishment phase is expected to resume Thursday afternoon.
His trial began Tuesday before Judge John Stevens in Jefferson County's Criminal District Court.
Cotton was accused of performing a lewd act while sitting in his vehicle next to a car where a lone 13-year-old girl was sitting in the parking lot of a south Beaumont grocery store on May 11, 2020, according to a probable cause affidavit in the case. The teen described Cotton's vehicle as being "very distinct" according o the affidavit.
Cotton then drove away and later followed the teen to her home and was seen driving slowly by the house.
The teen and her family then got in their car and followed Cotton while calling 911.
They were able to keep his "distinct vehicle" in sight and note that he was alone and that no one else got in or out of the vehicle according to the affidavit.
She and her family were able to direct officers right to Cotton and his vehicle before 911 dispatchers told them to head back to their home.
Beaumont Police officers pulled Cotton over and spoke to him before releasing him and filing a report.
The teen was later interviewed at the Garth House where she described him in detail and said he looked directly at her while performing the act according to the affidavit.
A few days after the incident she picked him out of a photo lineup.
Police say he had been accused of similar acts before going so far as to say he has a documented modus operandi of committing such acts according to the affidavit.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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