Lester Ray Hood III (Williamson County Jail)
GEORGETOWN, Texas - An Austin man has been sentenced to over a century in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage family member multiple times.
What they're saying:
43-year-old Lester Ray Hood III was found guilty of two separate counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Hood was sentenced to 60 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for one offense and 70 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the second.
The court has ordered the sentences to be served consecutively, ensuring a life sentence for Hood.
Timeline:
The Williamson County District Attorney's office says that the charges come from an April 2024 investigation prompted by the teen's guardian finding inappropriate WhatsApp messages between the teen and Hood.
The teen disclosed she had been sexually assaulted by Hood, a member of her extended family by marriage, multiple times.
Evidence at trial detailed a pattern of abuse from December 2023 to spring 2024. An initial assault happened on New Year's Eve 2023 when the teen was staying with family in Austin. Another assault happened at a Dallas/Fort Worth-area hotel after Hood picked her up from school.
Many other assaults happened while the teen was in Austin visiting family during spring break. The DA's office says Hood also used drugs or alcohol to facilitate the assaults.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the Williamson County District Attorney's office