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August 21, 2019
Adoptive father sentenced to 50 years for child abuse
By Jessica Goode
The Bandera Prophet
Antonio Serda, who was convicted in June of continuous sexual assault of a child, was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
198th District Judge Rex Emerson handed down the sentence during a hearing last week in the Bandera District Courtroom.
Serda, and his wife Juana Serda, were investigated by Child Protective Services (CPS) in 2017 after teachers reported them for alleged physical abuse to their elementary-school-aged son, according to Bandera County Chief Deputy Matt King. Serda’s 15-year-old adopted daughter told school authorities that the boy stayed home from school because he was bruised.
After subsequent interviews and investigations, the daughter and son, and three other children in the home were removed and placed in protective custody. A jury returned a guilty verdict against Serda for continuous sexual assault of his daughter, who was 12 years old when the abuse started, on June 12.
Serda, 58, and Juana Serda, 66, were also indicted by a grand jury for injury to a child. The trial date has not yet been set.
198th District Judge Rex Emerson handed down the sentence during a hearing last week in the Bandera District Courtroom.
Serda, and his wife Juana Serda, were investigated by Child Protective Services (CPS) in 2017 after teachers reported them for alleged physical abuse to their elementary-school-aged son, according to Bandera County Chief Deputy Matt King. Serda’s 15-year-old adopted daughter told school authorities that the boy stayed home from school because he was bruised.
After subsequent interviews and investigations, the daughter and son, and three other children in the home were removed and placed in protective custody. A jury returned a guilty verdict against Serda for continuous sexual assault of his daughter, who was 12 years old when the abuse started, on June 12.
Serda, 58, and Juana Serda, 66, were also indicted by a grand jury for injury to a child. The trial date has not yet been set.