Man sentenced to 20 years in aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping charge

Authorities say man sexually assaulted victim before she escaped to police

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas – A man was sentenced to 20 years in prison in his plea of guilty in two first-degree felony offenses of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping, attorneys said Thursday.

Howard Martin Harris was being tried in the 212th District Court when authorities said he agreed to plead guilty to both charges.

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The incident happened July 11, 2012, and was investigated by the Galveston County Sheriff's Office.

A prosecutor argued that Harris, who had been friends with the 29-year-old victim, held her inside his home in unincorporated Dickinson for over two hours and sexually assaulted her, before she was able to escape to the nearby Dickinson Police Department.

Harris will not become eligible for parole until he has served 10 years of his sentence, according to the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole.