A three-day trial resulted in a pair of life sentences for aggravated sexual assault charges, plus a 20-year maximum sentence for indecency with a child, for a registered sex offender, according to information from the Hardin County District Attorney’s Office.
Nov. 5, a Hardin County jury found Chad Alan Potts, 56, of Silsbee, guilty of two charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony, and one charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony, Assistant District Attorney Pamela I. Ibeh said.
Potts was sentenced to the maximum terms on all charges, Ibeh reported. The now-convicted sex offender received two life sentences for the first-degree felonies and 20 years’ imprisonment for the second-degree felony — all to be served in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice penal institution.
Ibeh presented the cases against Potts to a jury sworn before Judge Steve Thomas of the 356th District Court. The trial began with jury selection Nov. 3, followed by testimony the next day. A Hardin County jury deliberated for 45 minutes before returning guilty verdicts on all three charges; the same jury took just 9 minutes to determine punishment.
Agreeing to a sentencing recommendation from the prosecution, Thomas granted a motion to administer consecutive sentences, stacking the sentencing terms of confinement, meaning the life sentences will be served one at a time. Potts was also ordered to pay a $500 fine.
Under the stacked sentences, Potts must serve at least 10 years on the indecency charge before becoming eligible for parole, followed by a minimum of 30 years on each of the two aggravated sexual assault charges before serving the next sentence.
Ibeh said the offenses occurred in Silsbee, where Potts resided. The prosecutor further noted that the victim was a minor child temporarily residing in Potts’ home.
The jury also heard testimony from prior victims of child sex crimes committed by Potts, a provision allowed by law in certain types of cases. Presented evidence additionally revealed details of a child sex sting operation for which Potts received a federal conviction in June 2016, according to Ibeh.
“We are glad that justice was done in this case, as Mr. Potts showed tendencies of recidivism,” she said. “The victim and her family are thankful for the outcome, and so are the prior victims who testified. Our community is safer for it, and the District Attorney’s Office will continue to ensure that Hardin County remains a safe place for all.”