La Feria man sentenced in sexual assaults of girls

Henry Moreno

A 69-year-old La Feria man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after he was found guilty in the sexual assault of four young girls over the span of a decade.

A Cameron County jury found Henry Moreno, 69, guilty of one count of sexual assault of a child and four counts of indecency of a child by contact.

According to the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, the four girls, who are now teenagers, testified in detail as to how Moreno abused them. It was discovered when the DA’s office received the Moreno case that he had assaulted other victims over a two decades period, authorities said.

Court testimony revealed that the abuse against the girls began when they were minors. It began with inappropriate kissing that evolved into touching and continued well into their teens, the DA’s office said in a press release.

“The girls believed they were the Moreno’s only victim, and did not disclose the abuse as a result. The girls kept it to themselves until a bid by one victim in 2020 to protect another exposed the abuse,” the release said.

The incidents were reported to the parents and law enforcement was alerted. Moreno was arrested and charged with the crime.

During Wednesday’s sentencing phase of Moreno’s trial, 445 th state District Judge Gloria Rincones heard from eight witnesses who testified that the abuse against them by Moreno occurred as far back as 1997. An additional 10 other victims were also identified and their assaults were confirmed, authorities said.

“The bravery of these victims coming forward was crucial exposing a web of decades of abuse and lies that affected multiple families. We must educate children about what is inappropriate, regardless of who is the perpetrator and encourage them to speak us,” District Attorney Luis Saenz said. “We as adults must also protect them and act quickly if we are told of or suspect abuse happening.”


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