Mercedes man sentenced for aggravated sexual assault of a child

MERCEDES, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man was sentenced to 35 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Miles Pena, 36, was sentenced to 35 years after he pleaded guilty to one count of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and one count of Assault against a Family Member, a news release from the Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office stated.

On May 24, 2020, the Weslaco Police Department was notified of an eight-year-old female who made an outcry of sexual abuse against Pena. The child was interviewed by a forensic interviewer and underwent a sexual assault examination. During each examination the child made an outcry that she had been sexually assaulted by Miles Pena on numerous occasions.

Pena was sentenced on Friday to 35 years for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and 10 years for Assault against a Family Member.

“It is a sad day in Hidalgo County whenever a child is harmed by a sexual predator,” said Hidalgo County District Attorney Toribio Palacios. “The District Attorney’s Office and the law enforcement community will continue to work relentlessly to bring sex offenders to justice.”