TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — Tanner Horner, the man charged with murdering 7-year-old Athena Strand, has received three additional charges of sexual assault of a child, unrelated to the Athena Strand case.
These charges stem from three incidents in 2013. It is unclear if the charges are related to the same person or three separate people.
The charges for sexual assault of a child under 17 were filed Wednesday.
Horner is currently sitting in the Wise County Jail since he was first charged in the death of Athena Strand.
In early December, Horner was located and confessed to investigators he had taken Athena and that she was dead, the report details. Police said Horner told them he had accidentally hit Athena with his truck while he was backing up. According to the affidavit, Horner said Strand was not seriously injured in that collision but said he panicked and put Athena in the van.
The affidavit also notes that Horner further told investigators Strand was talking to him after she was hit, even telling him her name. Once inside the van, the affidavit continues, Horner told police he tried to break Athena's neck -- and when that didn't work, he told police, he strangled her with his bare hands in the back of the van.
Horner told police multiple times he strangled Athena because she was going to tell her father about being hit by the FedEx truck Horner was driving, the affidavit stated.
Police have charged Horner with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping and have said they be asking prosecutors to seek the death penalty for him if he's convicted.
Horner has a $1.5 million bond stemming from the charges in the Athena Strand case. No bond has been set for his newest charges at this time.