Ryder v. State

514 S.W.3d 391, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 977, 2017 WL 461685
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 2, 2017
DocketNo. 07-15-00003-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 514 S.W.3d 391 (Ryder v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ryder v. State, 514 S.W.3d 391, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 977, 2017 WL 461685 (Tex. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

OPINION

James T. Campbell, Justice

Appellant James Duvall Ryder appeals from his convictions by jury of the offenses of aggravated sexual assault of a child,1 indecency with a child by contact2 and indecency with a child by exposure3 and the resulting concurrent sentences of 99, 20 and 10 years of imprisonment. Appellant raises several issues. We will affirm.

Background

Appellant lived with his wife and three children.4 In late 2009, the children went to live with a family friend, Karen Bush.5 One day, shortly after the children moved in with Bush, she found K.R. and C.R. in the bedroom. Bush testified K.R. “had her pants and her panties down and [C.R.] had his mouth on her private area.” Bush told the jury C.R. told her that their “daddy does it to [their] mommy” and also to K.R. Bush reported the incident to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services but no finding of abuse was made. The investigation against appellant remained open for some time due to a lack of evidence because of the young ages of the children.

In April 2011, Bush made another report to the Department based on a statement by K.R. to her counselor. A forensic interview with K.R. was conducted during [396]*396which K.R. told the interviewer her father “had sex” with her and “we took our clothes off me and my brother ... and we put our privates in our other privates.” The interviewer testified K.R. told her that KR.’s father touched KR.’s genitals, touched her brother’s genitals, and made the children touch his genitals until “white stuff came out.” The interviewer testified KR. also told her that KR. and C.R. watched their parents have sex on several occasions and watched many “sex” movies with their parents. KR. also testified at trial, relating to the jury several of these instances. Her testimony described her father’s sexual assault by digital penetration of her sexual organ, and his sexual contact by causing her to touch his genitals.

After the jury found appellant guilty as charged and assessed punishment as noted, the trial court denied appellant’s post-judgment motions and this appeal followed.

Analysis

Sufficiency of the Evidence to Support Conviction

We will address appellant’s last issue first. In that issue, appellant contends the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction for the offense of indecency with a child by exposure as charged in count three of the indictment.

In determining the sufficiency of the evidence, we must consider all the evidence in the record, whether direct or circumstantial, properly or improperly admitted, or submitted by the prosecution or the defense. Clayton v. State, 235 S.W.3d 772, 778 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007). We review all the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict and assume that the trier of fact resolved conflicts in the testimony, weighed the evidence, and drew reasonable inferences in a manner that supports the verdict. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 318, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); Brooks v. State, 323 S.W.3d 893, 912 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010); Hooper v. State, 214 S.W.3d 9, 13 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007). The jury is the “sole judge of a witness’s credibility, and the weight to be given the testimony.” Isassi v. State, 330 S.W.3d 633, 638 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010). We consider only whether the jury reached a rational decision. Curry v. State, 30 S.W.3d 394, 406 (Tex. Crim. App. 2000).

The testimony of a child sexual abuse victim alone is sufficient to support a conviction for indecency with a child or aggravated sexual assault. See Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 38.07(a), (b)(1) (West 2013); Lee v. State, 186 S.W.3d 649, 655 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2006, pet. refd); Soto v. State, 267 S.W.3d 327, 332 (Tex. App.Corpus Christi 2008, no pet.). The courts will give wide latitude to testimony given by child victims of sexual abuse. Villalon v. State, 791 S.W.2d 130, 134 (Tex. Crim. App. 1990) (en banc). The victim’s description of what happened need not be precise and the child is not expected to communicate with the same level of sophistication as an adult. Soto, 267 S.W.3d at 332. Furthermore, corroboration of the victim’s testimony by medical or physical evidence is not required. Id. And, “outcry testimony alone can be sufficient to sustain a conviction for aggravated sexual assault.” Rodriguez v. State, 819 S.W.2d 871, 873-74 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991).

To prove its allegation in count three that appellant engaged in indecency with a child by exposure, the State was required to prove appellant, with a child younger than 17 years of age, with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, exposed appellant’s anus or any part of appellant’s genitals, knowing the child was present. Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 21.11(a)(2)(A). The intent to [397]*397arouse or gratify the defendant’s sexual desire may be inferred from a defendant’s conduct and all surrounding circumstances. Jones v. State, 229 S.W.3d 489, 497 (Tex. App.-Texarkana 2007, no pet.). Although the evidence must show a child was present and the accused knew a child was present, it is not necessary that the child see the exposure for the offense to occur. Yanes v. State, 149 S.W.3d 708, 712 (Tex. App.-Austin 2004, pet. ref d).

To support the indecency by exposure count, the State relied on evidence appellant and his wife engaged in sexual intercourse in front of K.R. and C.R. Appellant contends there was no evidence that if the children witnessed their parents having sexual relations, appellant knew of their presence, yet continued for his own sexual satisfaction.

The jury heard K.R., who was ten years old by the time of trial, testify she and her brother C.R. got into trouble after they moved to Bush’s home when they “did something that ... our dad taught us.” Asked what they did, she responded, “S-EX.” She described “S-E-X” as “[pjutting a boy’s part in girl’s part.”6 She went on to testify that her parents had “S-E-X” in front of her and her brother. She also testified her parents saw the children in the room while they were having sex but “they didn’t care and they just kept on doing it.” She also said, “Me and [C.R.], when I—we were watching them, they saw us watching them ... I seen them do it a bunch of times.” From KR.’s description of what she saw, it was reasonable for the jury to infer that appellant exposed his genitals and knew the children were present. Hooper, 214 S.W.3d at 13. Evidence also showed appellant and his wife involved K.R. and C.R. in sexual activity in other ways. K.R. testified that her parents, with the children, watched movies showing sexual intercourse and that appellant performed sexual acts with her.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
514 S.W.3d 391, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 977, 2017 WL 461685, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ryder-v-state-texapp-2017.