D.A.’s office secures aggravated sexual assault of child plea

ANAHUAC — The Chambers County District Attorney’s Office settled a case against a man who stood accused of sexually assaulting a child last week. 

Edgardo Rodriguez pleaded guilty on July 30 to the charge and was sentenced to 40 years in prison in exchange for his plea in the 344th court of state District Judge Randy McDonald. 

According to a news release by the district attorney’s office, the plea deal was due to Assistant D.A. Kathy Esquivel and investigators Brad Cone and Nick Gonzalez, who were all credited for their work. 

“Kathy has poured her heart into these cases for decades, and these plea deals allow for a long sentence without having to put victims through the immense trauma of a trial and reliving the worst things that ever happened to them in front of both complete strangers and their abusers,” said D.A. Cheryl Lieck. 

That work also established the identity of two additional alleged victims that were out of state. 

“This goes to show what hard work on the front end does,” Leick said. 

A Chambers County grand jury indicted Rodriguez in April 2022.