A San Saba County jury found Preston Lamar Thomas, 22, guilty of three first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault of a child charges. On Feb. 19, 2010, Thomas was indicted for sexually abusing a seven-year-old family member.

Jurors sentenced the defendant to 65 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each of the three counts. In his March 1 court order, San Saba District Judge Guilford Jones stacked the three sentences, requiring Thomas to serve a total of 195 years in prison and pay a $30,000 fine.

“This defendant was found guilty of sexually abusing a seven-year-old child,” Attorney General Abbott said. “Thanks to a courageous young victim who had the strength to cry out for help, San Saba law enforcement officials were informed about the defendant’s horrible, abusive conduct. We are grateful to the San Saba Sheriff’s Department, the Children’s Advocacy Center in Burnet, and San Saba District Attorney Sam Oatman for their assistance with this case and their commitment to Texas children.”

The March 1 sentence stemmed from an investigation by the San Saba Sheriff’s Department, which opened a case after the young victim cried out to her grandmother, who immediately notified law enforcement authorities. A San Saba County grand jury indicted Thomas for aggravated sexual assault of a child. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office prosecuted the case in conjunction with San Saba District Attorney Sam Oatman.