JACKSONVILLE, Texas — A Jacksonville man was sentenced to life in prison for continuous sexual abuse of a child.
James Warnell Phillips, of Jacksonville, pleaded guilty to two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a minor on Wednesday after he was accused of continuously sexually abusing children over a period of 11 years.
Phillips' trial began Nov. 12. He originally pleaded not guilty, but after a day and a half of testimony changed his plea to guilty for the jury to assess his sentencing.
The State and Defense rested their case on Nov. 14. The jury returned a life sentence for Phillips after less than an hour of deliberation.
"The success of this case hinged on skills and hard work of law enforcement and victim advocates, Cherokee County District Attorney Elmer Beckworth said. "Their work is tireless, often thankless, and difficult. Too often it goes unrecognized. Without their dedication and perseverance these victims may not have gotten justice."
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