Killeen couple sentenced to 60 years each for sexually assaulting minors

WACO, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - A Killeen couple have each been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for sexually assaulting potentially 25 minors, including multiple infants, as well as producing child pornography in central Texas.

Christopher Almaguer, 27, and Sarah Almaguer, 27, have also been ordered to each pay $10,000 to the Justice Victims of Trafficking Fund and be placed on supervised release for the remainder of their lives upon completing their time in prison.  

Christopher Almaguer's brother, Paul Perez, 25, was also sentenced to 20 years for receipt of child pornography.

The sentencing hearing at Waco’s federal courthouse Wednesday lasted most of the day. When it was over, US Attorney John Bash and the team of investigators that worked the child exploitation case described it as one of the toughest they have prosecuted.

“This was a sentencing for two people who I think can only be described as serial child abusers I think probably two of the worst criminals in the history of Texas,” said Bash.

According to court documents, the Almaguers made videotapes of them sexually abusing as many as 25 kids, some as young as eight months, the oldest 14. The Almaguers were arrested last October by the Texas Attorney General's Child Exploitation Unit and admitted to recording and uploading the explicit videos, according to a release from AG Ken Paxton's office.

Perez was indicted because investigators eventually learned he had several videos sent to him. Bash said the abuse lasted at least four years and the couple had easy access to the children.

“Parents would come, leave the kids, they trusted these folks, for example babysitting, they would leave their kids when they had to go to work or some other commitment, they would leave their children with these child abusers. Of course the parents didn’t know they were child abusers,” said Bash. "They were active in their church and parents and families got to know [them] at church, their kids would come over to the house and play, they have five kids of their own, some of their kids' friends would come over and spend the night and they would molest them in those situations."

In court prosecutors said Facebook accounts and Facebook messenger were used to upload the images. A call from the cyber tip line is how they were caught.

US District Judge Alan D. Albright handled the sentencing and special conditions include no use of computer or social media device and an Internet ban. They are also to have no contact with children, specifically they can never go to a park, playground or a school.

“There may be more victims,” said Bash. "Of the 25 that we know about, we have only identified about 13 of them, so even of that 25, we don’t know the names and identities of the rest of the victims."

The Almaguers and Perez have apologized for what they did. They told the judge they have had religious conversions and look forward to the day they are released.