The 451st District Court was tense Thursday afternoon as a jury reconvened after more than six hours of deliberation to hand down a 17-year prison sentence to Jose Jimenez.
Jimenez had been found guilty after a day-long deliberation the night before for the lesser included charge of felony indecency with a child after three women came forward accusing the 46-year-old Comfort resident of sexually assaulting them as children.
“I know that each and every one of you handling this were here for many hours, painstaking hours,” 451st Court Judge Kirsten Cohoon said. “You’ve done your job here very well, and you’ve worked very hard, and I cannot let you leave here without knowing how much your work is appreciated by not only this court but the citizens of Kendall County, and, frankly, the citizens of our entire state and great nation.
“Because of your work, you further the guarantees that each citizen has in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. You further those amendment protections. And it’s hard. And it’s painful. And I appreciate you.”
Although Jimenez originally was facing a first-degree felony charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child, the jury found him guilty of the lesser charge and was left to sentence him to between two and 20 years. Handing down the 17-year sentence, the jury also assessed the maximum $10,000 fine.
Once the jury had done its job and been relieved of its duties, a victim and a representative of one of the victims were given the opportunity to face Jimenez and share victim impact statements.
“The impact all of this had on me I wish on no one,” one of the victims said. “It gave me depression, making me feel bad about myself and not wanting to be here. … You not only hurt me but [another victim] as well, and for now, I don’t think I can ever forgive you.”
A representative of the victims, who was closely tied to the impacts of Jimenez’s actions, read a statement expressing dis-gust with Jimenez’s behavior and unwillingness to take responsibility for his actions.
“We are all here because the tables have turned,” the representative read. “We are here to make our voices matter, and they are not going anywhere. And Jose, it’s your time to listen. There is no map to show you to a road of healing. I cannot put into words the level of disgust I feel when I think about what happened. You abused the trust I put into you. I know now why victims never speak up for fear of not being believed. …
“Shame on you for knowing deep down what you did and still having these girls testify and to relive it over and over. We have all been put in this situation because of you. All of our lives are forever changed, but I refuse for [a victim] to live as a victim because of you.”
Once the statements were read and Cohoon gave her usual words of encouragement to find healing while in incarceration, Jimenez was taken into custody, but not before his 18 or so family members present yelled things like “Karma” and “She wasn’t even crying” to the victims as they left the courtroom.
Jimenez will be required to serve at least half of his 17-year sentence before being eligible for parole, making him eligible for early release in 2031.
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