BRYAN, Texas — A Bryan man was sentenced to a total of 50 years in prison for child abuse crimes that had been uncovered as far back as October of 2017, according to a release from the Brazos County District Attorney.
On Oct. 6, 2017, a mother discovered Luis Marroquin's "lost" cell phone, which contained many photos and videos of him sexually abusing her child. The mother informed the Brazos County Sheriff's Department of her discovery and assigned an investigator to look into the matter.
The child, who was now an adult, told the investigator that she couldn't remember exactly when Marroquin had started sexually abusing her, but did say that she was in elementary school when the abuse began. According to the release, Marroquin's abuse continued for years until she attempted to take her own life.
After the abuse stopped, it was noted that Marroquin would threaten the mother to keep his abuse hidden, saying that her family "would not have any money and that God would punish her." The mother made attempts to leave, but was stopped by Marroquin, who threatened to harm her or her family.
Eventually, what Marroquin had done to the mother came to light, and he fled the country. While he was in hiding, he was in contact with the mother's younger sister, attempting to influence the other family members so that they wouldn't cooperate with officials investigating the matter.
Marroquin was eventually arrested on Aug. 31, 2022.
"The defendant preyed on a vulnerable child through his actions, and his threats to harm her family," said Assistant District Attorney Kristin Burns in the release. "We are thankful the defendant will be in prison where he belongs and the family is pleased with the sentence."
During his guilty plea, multiple people involved--including the victim and her mother--were present. After Marroquin received his sentence, those in person were "pleased and relieved" with what was handed down.
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