SPRING, Texas – A mother says her worst fears have come true now that a former teacher from Spring Independent School District who she says constantly molested her two young daughters while in the 3rd grade will avoid jail time.
Danilo Martinez worked at Eickenroht Elementary back in 2019. He accepted a plea deal for one count of indecency with a child after several other child sex abuse charges were dropped.
Instead of spending decades behind bars, for the time being, he will get seven years probation.
Prosecutors say it was the best decision given the circumstances of the case.
On Wednesday, the mother of the victims told KPRC2 her daughter’s story while she made a final and desperate plea for other witnesses to come forward.
”They wake up crying at night,” the mother said. “He could have a chance of just getting ten years probation, and that’s not right.”
On Friday, KPRC 2 learned that three of the four charges Martinez was facing were dropped and he will face probation or possibly deferred adjudication.
The County District Attorney’s Office released the following statement.
”The defendant will be under close supervision by the court for seven years. He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and will never be able to work around children again.”
KPRC2′s legal analyst Brian Wice weighed in on the decision.
”If they thought there was a way in any or all of these cases to get convictions of maximum sentences, they’d have done it in a heartbeat,” Wice said.
Wice says without concrete evidence, probation ensures some form of justice rather than risking Martinez being found not guilty.
”It’s only because sometimes certainty trumps severity in the criminal justice system, and today is one of those days,” he added.
Wice adds that the conditions of Martinez’s probation are among the most stringent that anyone is expected to live with during their term.
One slip-up and it’s likely he will face a substantial prison term.
SEE ALSO: Spring ISD elementary teacher accused of touching 2 girls inappropriately multiple times