Texas man sentenced to life for sexually abusing family member is found dead
07/25/2023 3:58 pm PDT
GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas (TCD) -- A man facing life in prison for sexually abusing a family member was found dead this week after failing to show up for his last day of court.
According to a news release from the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office, a judge sentenced Richard Duplessis on Thursday, July 20, to life in prison.
On Aug. 12, 2022, the child victim came forward and reported that Duplessis had been sexually assaulting her since she was 6 years old, from May 2021 until February 2022. Police arrested Duplessis, and a jury indicted him for continuous sexual abuse of a child.
In November 2022, Duplessis posted $250,000 bond, KPRC-TV reports.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, on Tuesday, July 18, Duplessis’ trial began, and the jury heard testimony from two other victims who accused the suspect of sexually abusing them when they were children.
During the trial, prosecutors reportedly showed text messages that revealed "the nature of inappropriate communication" between the suspect and the victim. The District Attorney’s Office said the jury deliberated for less than 10 minutes before returning the guilty verdict.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Raneca Henson said in closing arguments that "the defendant took advantage of the victim’s trust and innocence."
Henson added, "The defendant has shown he is a predator, and he preys on young girls that can’t protect themselves."
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Duplessis failed to show up for his final day of trial, and officials began searching for him on an open warrant for his arrest.
The search for Duplessis ended this week, on Tuesday, July 25, when a neighbor noticed an odor and discovered Duplessis had hanged himself at a family friend’s home, KPRC reports.
Prior to his recent sentencing, in 2016, Duplessis reportedly sexually assaulted a child in Galveston County and was found guilty of a lesser charge of endangering a child. The next year, in 2017, KPRC reports he allegedly sexually assaulted another child in Harris County, but that case was dismissed.
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