Man sexually abused girl for 9 years, starting when she was 4, Texas prosecutors say
A girl endured nine years of violent and repeated sexual abuse starting when she was 4, Texas prosecutors said.
Now, a 51-year-old man has pleaded guilty to abusing the young girl up until she was 13 years old, the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office said in a Dec. 3 news release. Richard Nicholas Osborn, from Cedar Park, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and will be a registered sex offender for life.
His attorney did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Dec. 4.
Osborn was known to the victim, but officials did not disclose if they were related.
In 2022, the victim reported the near-decade of abuse to law enforcement, leading to criminal charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, prosecutors said. The girl had previously told her mother about the abuse by Osborn, but officials said it was never reported.
An investigation into Osborn following criminal charges revealed he was charged in 1990 of sexually abusing an underage relative for several years, according to officials.
Additionally, Osborn “engaged in voyeuristic behavior, peeping over his fence at neighbors with young children,” prosecutors said.
During the sentencing hearing, the victim spoke about the impact the rampant abuse has had on her life, prosecutors said.
“This defendant stole the innocence of a child and caused immeasurable harm,” District Attorney Shawn Dick said in a news release.
Cedar Park is about a 20-mile drive northwest from Austin.
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 12:59 PM with the headline "Man sexually abused girl for 9 years, starting when she was 4, Texas prosecutors say."
