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A Texas man accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a child will avoid prosecution on nine felony counts after signing a plea deal with a George Soros-backed Travis County prosecutor, according to a report.
Richard Leigh Bell, 37, was convicted of nine felony charges — including one count of persistent sexual exploitation of a child under 14, six counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child, Austin’s ABC affiliate KVUE reported. Those charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement that allowed Bell to plead guilty to one count of injury to a child, a third-degree felony.
Under the agreement, Bell was sentenced to five years of deferred probation. He will have to register as a sex offender and will be barred from having contact with the victim, her family or any minors, KVUE reports. There was no mention of going to jail in the petition.
Outside the courtroom Monday, the victim’s father told KVUE he was surprised by the decision and said prosecutors Efrain de la Fuente and Loren Garcia failed to engage him in discussions about the plea.
Angry families over violent sexual assault case involving high school student saved from jail as young offender
Richard Leigh Bell, 37, pleaded guilty to a less serious offense after prosecutors dropped nine child sex abuse charges as part of a plea agreement. (Rockbridge Regional Jail)
He said, “I was furious to learn that not only was this our first and last plea, but this was our deal, whether I liked it or not.”
The father, who was not named to protect the victim’s identity, said he expected Bell to receive a prison sentence.
“I think any parent would hope that someone would rot in jail for doing something like this,” he told KVUE. “As time went on, I was hopeful that a realistic plea deal would be at least a few years — enough time to spend some time in prison, which is where you would be if you successfully committed pedophilic acts.”
Outrage erupts after accused teen sexual molester escapes from jail; A crowd of families is demanding the head of the judge in the court.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza poses in front of the Austin skyline in a photo from the county website. Garza has faced criticism for allegations that he aggressively prosecutes police officers accused of wrongdoing while being soft on career criminals. (Travis County DA website)
In Texas, deferred adjudication allows defendants to avoid sentencing if they successfully complete probation, although any violations can lead to conviction on the original charge. Bell’s probation conditions – which include mandatory sex offender registration and no-contact restrictions – will remain in place for the entire five-year period.
Fox News Digital has contacted Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza’s office and has not received a response.
‘Miscarriage of justice’: Soros Da rebuked by police for ‘war’ on police after officer sentenced to jail
Travis County, Texas District Attorney Jose Garza working as a worker in 2019. (Rick Kern/Getty Images for MoveOn.org Civic Action)
Garza, who took office in deep blue Travis County in 2021 after a campaign backed by progressive billionaire Soros, promised to “reimagine” criminal justice and prosecute police officers. He has defended his record as district attorney, saying that he is “doing exactly what Travis County voters elected him to do – fixing our broken criminal justice system by standing with survivors, working to end excessive use of force by police, and prioritizing treatment over incarceration for non-violent drug crimes.”
Critics have argued that Garza’s office has failed to advocate for victims and has promoted policies that make the city less safe.
He has also faced scrutiny for aggressively prosecuting police officers in a city still divided over the council’s 2020 decision to cut police funding.
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These tensions reached a peak in 2023, when Garza sparked outrage by attending the funeral of a slain police officer – a move some called a “slap in the face.”
