Micheal Murray, District Attorney of the 35th Judicial District, announced a guilty verdict on January 14, 2011 and sentence on January 25th, 2011 in the Brown County District Court case styled the State of Texas vs. Joel Ramirez in which Ramirez was charged as a repeat offender with Felony Offense of Tampering/Fabricating Evidence.

Ramirez, 50 and a resident of Brown County, was sentenced to forty-five (45) years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice by the Honorable Stephen Ellis.  Ramirez’s charge resulted when on December 23, 2009 at a crowded Heartland Mall in Early at Christmastime; Ramirez was observed clandestinely taking pictures of young girls.

Testimony revealed that Ramirez was in Claire’s Boutique and would position himself so that his back was facing toward the back of a female patron.  Then Ramirez would bend down and position his digital camera behind himself so that he could take pictures of the young female’s backside.  When Ramirez was discovered, he ran from the mall and disposed of the secure digital card of the camera in the bar ditch of the West entrance to the mall.  Early Police Officer Johnny Brown received the call of “a man taking pictures at the mall of little girls” and located and detained Ramirez at the former location of the Granite Guys on Early Boulevard.

Officer Brown subsequently arrested Ramirez charging him with the felony offense of Improper Photography.  Early Police Chief David Mercer and Early Police Officer Keith Varner recovered the secure digital card with the help of other witnesses and Ramirez was charged with Tampering/Fabricating Evidence.  Subsequent forensic investigation of the secure digital card by Early Police Detective Shawn Dibrell and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jason Benefield revealed numerous videos taken in the mall by Ramirez with the camera of the midriffs and backsides of females of various ages.  Among other evidence, evidence was also introduced of the contents of a trac phone Ramirez had on his person containing numerous nude female photos.  Additionally, evidence was presented of Ramirez’s previous conviction of Indecency with a Child.

Assistant District Attorney Tommy Adams tried the case.

To view the initial article featuring the arrest of Ramirez which was issued by Early Police, Click here.