Pinson man found guilty of sexually assaulting 8-year-old girl in 2015 allegedly transmitted STD, according to prosecutor
A Pinson man has been found guilty of committing heinous acts against a young girl, which occurred over a prolonged period of time starting in 2015.
A Jefferson County jury has found 34-year-old Romulo Velazco-Hernandez guilty on charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, and attempted sodomy.
The trial commenced on June 24 under the jurisdiction of Jefferson County Circuit Judge Stephen Wallace. The jury reached a guilty verdict on Friday following a brief deliberation of less than three hours.
After a lengthy eight-year wait, the defendant has finally faced justice,” remarked Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Tiffany Ould, who, along with Jennifer Wilson and Jacob Powell, prosecuted the case.
“He took advantage of a mother’s trust and the vulnerability of a child,” Ould said. “The victim will always carry the burden of what this man inflicted upon her.”
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The victim, who was only eight years old at the time, experienced sexual assaults starting in October 2015. He was first arrested in 2016.
Velazco-Hernandez resided with the victim, her mother, and two brothers.
Ould mentioned that Velazco-Hernandez would take care of the children during their mother’s nightshift.
The perpetrator would send the victim’s brothers, who were then ages 11 and 5, to bed and then lock the victim in the bedroom that he shared with her mother, where he committed horrific acts against the young girl.
“In less than a year, he committed multiple acts of sexual assault against her,” Ould said. Finally, she decided to speak up and confided in her mother, who immediately contacted the authorities.
After a medical examination, it was found that the child had contracted an STD due to the repeated assaults. According to Ould, the mother has also tested positive for the same STD.
During the trial, Velazco-Hernandez provided testimony regarding Ould’s primary focus being on his work in construction.
Furthermore, for reasons that remain unclear, he claimed that the bedroom where the incident allegedly took place was actually the children’s bedroom, rather than the bedroom he shared with the child’s mother.
According to Ould, the defendant argued that the bedroom couldn’t have belonged to him due to his size, as he claimed to be too big for the single twin bed. “He was unable to provide any explanation for the absence of children’s items in the bedroom, nor could he account for the presence of various adult items, including clothing for both men and women, medicine, lottery tickets, and bottles of alcohol, among others.”
The defendant was questioned by his attorney, Freddy Rubio of the Rubio Law Firm, about the alleged sexual assault of the child victim. Velazco-Hernandez responded, “I wouldn’t have, I believe.”
The victim, her mother, and one of her siblings also testified in court as reported by Alabama News.
“He is now facing the repercussions of his actions,” Ould said. It is hoped that each day spent in prison will serve as a reminder that society has zero tolerance for such heinous and despicable acts committed against our children.
A date for sentencing has not been determined yet.