GALVESTON, TX – The trial of Defendant, David Cristan, began on October 19, 2021, in the 56tth District Court of Galveston County, in front of Judge Lonnie Cox. Mr. Cristan stood trial for two charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 years of age and one charge of sexual abuse of a child under 17 years of age.
During the course of the trial, the jury heard evidence from two different children, both of which testified that Cristan had repeatedly sexually abused them a number of different times continuing over a period of more than ten years at residences in both LaMarque and Texas City.
The jury also saw a videotaped statement from Cristan where officers asked him about the allegations and he repeatedly responded with a claim that he blacks out a lot and does not know if he had done those things.
On October 21, 2021, the Jury returned verdicts of guilty for one offense of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and one offense of sexual assault of a child under 17.
Cristan was also found not guilty of one offense of continuous sexual abuse of a child. After a brief hearing on punishment and a short period of deliberation, the jury then returned sentences of 99 years in prison and 20 years in prison for the convicted offenses. The State was represented by Galveston County Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Katlin Robinson and Clay Hearrell.
“The victims, in this case, suffered for years and were terrified their abuser, yet when the time came, they bravely faced him in open court and testified to all that they had endured. David Cristan will spend the rest of his life in prison and the children of Galveston County are safer because of that. None of this would have been possible without these two young girls standing strong and facing their fears. For that, we are truly thankful,” the Galveston District Attorney’s Office said.
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