Man gets 7 years for indecency with child
NEW BOSTON, Texas — A man who exposed himself repeatedly to a 12-yearold boy he knew through church was sentenced by a Bowie
County jury Thursday to seven years in prison. Jerry
Dean Smith
Jr., 33, was sentenced to just three years shy of the maximum allowed under Texas law for indecency with a child by exposure. Smith must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Smith exposed and gratified himself in front of the boy at Smith’s apartment in Bowie County, according to a probable cause affidavit. Smith’s misconduct came to the attention of law enforcement after a counselor and administrator at the boy’s school reported that the boy had disclosed to them that Smith had sent him inappropriate sexually oriented pictures and videos.
Carter said she asked the jury for a seven-year sentence because that amount of time will keep Smith behind bars until the victim is an adult. Carter said she told the jury that the victim’s account has been consistent, never wavered and included multiple specific details.
Witnesses also testified that Smith had an extensive amount of computer and digital storage equipment which investigators were not able to forensically examine because of sophisticated encryption, Assistant District Attorney Katie Carter said.
“I can’t thank the citizens
of Bowie County enough for showing up and giving of their time willingly to serve on the jury. That is the only way we can guarantee justice for the victim,” District Attorney Jerry Rochelle said. “Law enforcement did their jobs, the prosecutors did their jobs and the jury followed the law and justice was served. My only wish is that this verdict would send a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in our community.”
Smith was represented by Mount Pleasant, Texas, lawyer Bart Craytor.