BROWNSVILLE — Grammy Award-winning Tejano superstar Jose “Joe” Lopez was approved for parole Friday.
He will be a free man after spending 10 years in prison for two counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child.
Lopez was the co-founder of Grupo Mazz during the 1980s and became the group’s lead vocalist, producing several hits and albums. He and co-founder Jimmy Gonzalez went on to form separate bands, but each kept the name Mazz in some fashion.
Lopez was imprisoned at the W.F. Ramsey Unit in Rosharon, Texas.
A jury found the Tejano singer guilty of having sexual relations with a 13-year-old relative at his condo in 2004. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
Lopez attempted to appeal the case but it was denied after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused to review the decision.
According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice database, Lopez agreed to be transferred to a Sex Offender Education Program and would be released “not earlier than four months from 01/2017” after completion.
