SAN ANTONIO – A 61-year-old man previously convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child on June 6 will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Judge Christine Del Prado of the 227th District Court in Bexar County sentenced Adam Charles Barba to life in prison after the defendant chose to have his punishment set by the judge instead of a jury.
The punishment range was between five and 99 years or life in prison with a fine of up to $10,000.
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office said Del Prado considered two prior convictions for drug charges, making him a habitual offender and upgrading the punishment range to between 25 and 99 years or life in prison.
Barba faces an additional charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child.
“During trial, the State was able to put on evidence of the Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child,” the DA’s Office said.
Barba’s charges stemmed from an incident on May 26, 2018, where he sexually assaulted a family member under 14 while he was a guest in someone’s home, according to the DA’s office.
“He initially claimed that he was only trying to wake her up, but never actually denied what he was accused of. The victim, however, immediately told her mother, who then confronted defendant Barba,” a news release stated.
Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Joe Gonzales stated, “Sexual assault of a child is unacceptable. We champion every child and work continuously to keep our children safe.”
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