Huntsville man sentenced to 35 years in Grimes County for child sexual abuse

ANDERSON — A Huntsville man was sentenced Friday to 35 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of sexually abusing a child in incidents partially captured on video.  

Following a four-day trial and an hour of deliberation Oct. 24, a Grimes County jury convicted Mario Guitierrez Almanza, 33, of two counts of indecency with a child by contact, both second-degree felonies, and one count of attempted indecency with a child by contact, a third-degree felony. 

Grimes County District Attorney Chief Investigator John Wren said Almanza previously lived in Bedias, Trinity and Huntsville where he was arrested.

“They convicted him on every count of his indictment and then sentenced him in a manner consistent with the values of the Grimes County Community," Grimes County Assistant District Attorney Tammy Thomas said. 

According to officials, the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office first referred the case to the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 22, 2024 after an outcry from a female child. She said Almanza had touched her inappropriately for four years.  

During an interview, the victim described Almanza touching her breasts, touching her with his genitals and attempting to touch her genitals at a residence in Bedias. She also reported an incident at a home in Huntsville, where Almanza touched her genitals with his foot — an act she captured on video.

"Dr. Maya Angelou wisely said, ‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them,’” Thomas said.

The jury trial began Oct. 21 before 12th State District Judge David Moorman. Thomas presented evidence over two days supporting the charges, and jurors returned guilty verdicts on all three counts. 

Almanza was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the first count, 20 years for the second and 10 years for the third. Moorman granted the state’s motion to stack the first two sentences, resulting in a combined 35-year sentence.

Almanza was also fined $10,000 and must register as a sex offender upon release. Due to his immigration status, he may face deportation after completing his sentence, according to officials. 

Almanza remains in the Grimes County Jail awaiting transfer to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.