Juan Cruz sentenced to 25 years after no-contest plea in aggravated-assault-of-a-child case

A presiding judge accepted a no-contest plea from Juan Cruz on a single count of aggravated assault of a child and sentenced him to 25 years in prison, court records show.

The sentence follows the defendant's waiver of a jury trial and the court's receipt of stipulated documentary evidence. The state asked that punishment be assessed at 25 years; the court adopted that assessment and imposed conditions intended to protect children and the complainants.

According to the record, the plea and sentencing included a $1,500 fine and Chapter 62 compliance, a reference the court used for registry obligations. The court ordered no contact with the complainants, no residing with minors and no unsupervised contact with minors. The judge also warned the defendant about firearm prohibitions tied to the felony conviction and explained appellate rights were waived under the plea.

The presiding judge addressed the defendant directly when imposing sentence, emphasizing parental responsibility and the protection of children: "You can't be leaving your children alone with some guy overnight, whether you're in love with them or not, and they've been to prison before." The judge said the prohibition on residing with minors was to protect children and noted the likelihood the defendant would appear on public registries when released.

Defense counsel stated the plea resolved extensive discussions with the state and consultations with the child's mother; the defense asked the court to honor the plea agreement. The defendant addressed the court and said, "I'm sorry for everything." The court accepted the plea-based sentence and certified that the defendant had knowingly and voluntarily waived appeal rights.

The court entered credit for any time served and directed that time and fines run concurrently where applicable. The record shows the court treated the plea as final adjudication with the listed custody and registration requirements to be enforced through the Department of Corrections and probation as applicable.