A former Boy Scout leader convicted of sexual assault of a child and child pornography in 2007 agreed Monday to civil commitment for sex offender treatment after his 14-year prison term concludes in September.
Genaro Vela, 72, was set for an estimated three to four day jury trial this week after the state of Texas filed a petition to involuntarily civilly commit the man, who has state convictions for sexual assault of a child, attempted aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child by contact, along with a federal conviction for possession of child pornography, arguing that he remained a sexually violent predator.
On Monday, Vela agreed that he is a sexually violent predator as defined by Texas Health and Safety Code.
Vela, who was 59 when he was convicted, had led Mission-based Boy Scout Troop 83 for decades, according to newspaper archives.
His civil commitment falls under a law that passed in 1999, which allows civil commitment of sex offenders after their prison sentence if they have a behavioral abnormality defined as “a congenital or acquired condition that, by affecting a person’s emotional or volitional capacity, predisposes the person to commit a sexually violent offense, to the extent that the person becomes a menace to the health and safety of another person.”
According to the agreed order, once Vela is released from prison, the Texas Civil Commitment Office will transport him to a location it designates where he will live.
He’ll receive sex offender treatment at that location where the Texas Civil Commitment Office will be in charge of his supervision.
Vela is not allowed to contact his victims and he is required to participate in the sex offender treatment, according to the agreed order.
He will also submit to a tracking device.
Failure to adhere to the agreement is a third-degree felony and failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements is a second-degree felony, according to the agreed order.
The agreed order allows Vela to petition for his release or to petition for less restrictive or more restrictive supervision.
His status will be reviewed twice a year, according to the order.
