A 30-year-old Copperas Cove man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to continuous sexual abuse of a young child.
Jonathan Suddeath was indicted by the Coryell County Grand Jury on March 31, and sentenced by visiting Judge Phillip Ziegler to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
Suddeath was also charged with attempted capital murder for punching the 13-year-old victim twice in an attempt to induce a miscarriage after learning she was pregnant. The 25 year sentence took both charges into consideration, but he was only convicted of the one charge.
"Through the plea agreement reached, we saved the victim from the additional trauma that a trial involves, but still ensured she will be 8 years older than Suddeath is now before he completes his sentence," said Coryell County Asst. District Attorney Scott Stevens, who prosecuted the case.
He must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Suddeath also agreed to a lifetime protective order that prevents him from ever having contact or communication with the victim or her family.
