District Attorney Micheal Murray reported that Wednesday of this week, Dustin Dobbins was sentenced to 14 years incarceration for two counts of the offense of sexual assault of a child. Dobbins pled guilty to the offense but asked the trial judge to defer adjudication and place him on probation. Murray and Assistant District Attorney Elisha Bird presented evidence during the hearing that Dobbins had sexually assaulted a fourteen-year old victim in Brown County on several occasions over a period of several months.

Murray and Bird also presented evidence that Dobbins had also sexually assaulted other girls, a fourteen-year old and a fifteen-year old in Coleman County. The fourteen-year old girl was biologically related to Dobbins. The fifteen-year old victim testified she had not known Dobbins prior to her encounter with him and that he gave her beer and cigarettes in exchange.

Dobbins testified that although he pled guilty, he had not actually had sex with the Brown County victim or the fourteen-year old victim from Coleman. However, Dobbins had previously made several admissions of sexual contact with the Brown County victim to Texas Ranger Jason Shea during the investigation. At the end of the hearing, Bird asked the court to sentence Dobbins to the maximum for the charged offense-20 years incarceration. Bird reminded the court of the impact this offense had on three different girls and their families.

Bird also believed that Dobbins’ awareness of the girls’ ages, his biological relationship to a victim and his lack of any relationship at all with the other victim also supported giving Dobbins the highest possible punishment. Bird also pointed out that although Dobbins did not have any previous felony convictions, he had committed multiple offenses as part of this case – including possession of child pornography. Based upon the age of the victims, Dobbins could be convicted of sexual assault even if he did not physically force the victims to engage in the activities.

Dobbins, who is currently 30 years of age, was 27 and 28 when the offenses took place. At the end of the hearing, visiting judge, James Morgan, called Dobbins a “sexual predator” when passing sentence.

 

Dustin Dobbins