Springtown man given 40 years in prison
Oct. 4—A 60-year-old Springtown man was sentenced to 40 years in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted him Wednesday of repeatedly sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl in a trial in district court in Weatherford.
In the trial, the now 17-year-old victim testified that James Blackmon used to date her grandmother and that on more than a dozen occasions he sexually assaulted her in a trailer park in Springtown.
In trial, through his lawyer, Blackmon claimed that the way the victim described being abused was not possible because the size of his genitalia would have caused her medical injury. Blackmon's girlfriend testified on Wednesday that she had to seek medical attention the first time she had sex with Blackmon due to his size. The defense then introduced into evidence a picture of Blackmon's genitals.
However, during Blackmon's interview with a Parker County Sheriff's Office investigator, he claimed that he could not have sexually assaulted the victim because he was unable to attain an erection.
Two other women testified that Blackmon sexually abused them when they were young girls. One described the abuse as occurring between the ages of 5 and 7 while the other said that it happened when she was around 4 years old. One of them also told jurors that she walked in on Blackmon fondling a 6-month-old boy.
One of those cases resulted in Blackmon being placed on deferred adjudication for indecency with a child in 1994. He successfully completed that term of supervision and did not go to prison.
"With this conviction and sentence, our trial team ensured that a dangerous predator will never again have the freedom to victimize children," said District Attorney Jeff Swain. "With victims past and present courageously describing what Mr. Blackmon did to them, our Parker County jurors only took 30 minutes to reject the absurd defense and convict him of continuous sexual abuse of a young child."
During his closing argument, Assistant District Attorney Al Charanza, who tried the case with Assistant District Attorney Abby Placke, explained to jurors that Texas law only requires the slightest of penetration to accomplish a sexual assault. He also emphasized that the offense includes fondling elements as well and, so long as jurors agree that Blackmon sexually abused the victim twice, the law says that he is guilty.
During her closing argument, Placke pointed to Blackmon, told jurors, "that man is a serial child molester," and asked them to render a long-awaited justice for the victims.
Shortly after the verdict on Wednesday, Blackmon suffered a medical emergency and jurors were sent home for the day. When he returned Thursday afternoon, the prosecution and defense reached an agreement that his sentence should be 40 years in prison.
"Since sentences for this offense are served without the possibility of parole, a 40-year sentence ensures that Mr. Blackmon will not be released from prison until he is 100 years old," Swain said. "We believe that result is the same as saying he will never get out of prison. That was our goal in this prosecution."
In a victim impact statement after Blackmon was sentenced, his victim on the current case said, "I've been waiting years for this. I'm so happy that you can't do this to anyone anymore... I learned to always stand up for myself and don't let people walk all over you just because you're a child. I will always have a voice and you can't silence me now... You're the reason why parents have to worry about their kids. You will forever be a monster in my eyes no matter what. Today, me and everyone else has one less person to worry about."
The case was tried in the 415th District Court, Judge Graham Quisenberry presiding.
