Former Big Spring police detective Joel Rojo was found guilty late Thursday by a jury.
Rojo was charged with sexual performance by a child, indecency with a child by exposure, attempted indecency with a child by exposure and indecency with a child by contact.
An investigation against Rojo was started in August of 2015. The case went to trial starting on Tuesday.
“The jury got it right,” said Prosecutor Hardy Wilkerson. “They were able to hear the case from both sides. It was a hard-fought case.”
One girl testified that Rojo took her to an abandoned drive-in where he asked her to undress. According to her testimony, Rojo claimed the purpose was to see if she matched the woman found in photos on a man’s phone.
A second victim testified that in Rojo’s office, the detective asked her to remove her top and bra.
A third victim had a similar testimony to the first victim. Rojo had taken her to the abandoned drive-in and asked her to undress.
“A combination of all those elements, but primarily the testimony of the children was the result of that verdict,” says Wilkerson.
Defense attorney Lance Wyatt pointed out discrepancies in the testimoy.
In closing arguments, Wilkerson asked the jury “to keep your eye on the ball, don’t get lost in the weeds.”
“It goes to the credibility of the allegations,” Wyatt said to the jury. “You have to think about the why and how that plays out.”
“The District Attorney is trying to portray my client as someone who preyed on these victims and that is not true,” Wyatt told the jury Thursday afternoon.
After three days of trial and two and-a-half hours of deliberations, the jury returned to the courtroom with a guilty verdict.
A judge will decide punishment at a later date. Rojo remained free on bond after the verdict.
(Original article from yourbasin.com)
