Plea deal nets man 30 years in prison for sexual abuse of eight-year-old girl

Photo courtesy Ellis County & District Attorney's Office.

Bryan Wayne Stewart, 36, of Red Oak was sentenced to 30 years in prison on January 30, 2017 following a plea agreement in relation to continuous sexual abuse of an eight-year-old girl.

ELLIS COUNTY — Bryan Wayne Stewart, 36, of Red Oak pleaded guilty to continuous sexual abuse of a young child and received 30 years in prison in a plea agreement.

"Pursuant to a plea bargain agreement with the State of Texas, Judge Bob Carroll, 40th District Court, then sentenced Stewart to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole," a press release issued by the Ellis County & District Attorney's Office stated on Monday.

The press release continued:

"On September 30, 2015, Bryan Wayne Stewart walked into the Red Oak Police Department and confessed to investigators that he had been sexually abusing an underage female. The victim recalls being eight years old when the abuse began. Prior to the confession, the girl, now 16, had recounted her memories of the abuse to investigators employed by the Ellis County Child Advocacy Center, also known as The Gingerbread House. A joint investigation was then conducted with the Red Oak Police Department, Waxahachie Police Department, and the Ellis County & District Attorney’s Office.

There is no parole on this offense. Anderson will be required to serve the full 30 year sentence. He will not be released from prison until he is 65 years old, after which he will be required to register as a sex offender.

The plea bargain avoided the possibility of a lesser outcome if the case had gone to trial, and it prevented the victim from being required to publicly testify about a tragic period in her life. There are also no appeals from plea bargain agreements, which provides greater closure for victims.

Prosecutor Russell Jones would like to thank the investigators who worked on this case and continue to work tirelessly on cases like it to ensure that victims of sexual abuse in Ellis County are afforded justice. This sentence begins a healing process for this child and sends a clear message that sexual abuse of children will not be tolerated, excused, or ignored in Ellis County."