Crime
Lubbock man gets 15 years for sexually abusing girl - AOL.com
Patrick Gonzales, a 31-year-old Lubbock man, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a girl twice when she was 7 and 8 years old. Gonzales appeared in Lubbock County court by video conference from the Lubbock County Detention Center, where he has been held since January 10, 2025.
Gonzales appeared in Lubbock County court by video conference from the Lubbock County Detention Center, where he has been held since January 10, 2025. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony carrying a punishment range of two to 20 years.
The two 15-year sentences will run concurrently, meaning he serves them at the same time rather than back to back. The abuse occurred in 2020 and 2021, according to court records.
Gonzales was originally indicted on two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony that can carry a sentence of five years to life in prison. The plea agreement reduced those charges to second-degree felonies, which is how prosecutors and defense attorneys frequently resolve cases to avoid trial.
For the girl at the center of this case, the conviction closes one chapter of a legal process that stretched years past the abuse itself.
Common questions
How much prison time did Patrick Gonzales get for abusing a child in Lubbock?
- Patrick Gonzales was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault of a child, and the two 15-year sentences will run concurrently, meaning he serves them at the same time rather than one after the other.
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