Man gets 10 yrs probation for sexually molesting 2 yr old, no sex offender registration required [View all]

[MelissaB]

in San Angelo, Texas.

SAN ANGELO, Texas - About 30 deputies mostly on horseback met a crowd of over 200 protesters on the front lawn of the Tom Green County Courthouse Monday morning.

People gathered around 8 a.m. to protest a recent plea agreement involving Thomas Boden and Jason Ferguson, assistant district attorney for the 51st Judicial District.

The protesters were made up mostly of women wearing pink holding posters and signs emblazoned with messages such as "Justice for Annabelle," "No excuse for rape or violence" and "This will never be ok."

The protest was peaceful, starting with speech from Karla Payne, executive director for the Concho Valley Rape Crisis Center. As the protest continued, one mother came up to the mike and spoke bluntly about the case and denouncing Tom Green policing authorities. This sparked a line of people speaking angrily about the case as well.

This is a developing story.

Link: http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/local-news/protestors-gather-at-courthouse_67255264

More from another article:

Last week Boden, 29, received 10 years deferred adjudication after pleading guilty to injury of a child, stemming from a January incident involving a 2-year-old girl. The plea agreement resulted in the dismissal of one charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child and a charge of indecency with a child by contact.

“There is no justice for the victim,” attendee Kay Hickey said Saturday. “They suffer for the rest of their life.”

Kendra Neumann and Kassia Jaramillo, social work students at Angelo State University, said the poster-making event helped bring the community together for a good cause and helped build awareness about an important issue.

“Ten years’ probation is a slap on the wrist,” Jarmillo said. “Our justice system is not harsh enough.”

When asked for comment, Assistant District Attorney for the 51st District Jason Ferguson said, “In this case, we were dealing with a child who was 2 years old at the time of the offense, no adult witnesses, but serious injuries. When we were looking at our options, my primary concern was for the best interest of the child, including considering what going through the rigors of trial preparation and testimony in front of a jury would be like for a toddler.”

Link: http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/local-news/protest-set-to-decry-mans-plea-agreement