Galveston County Jury Sentences Man to Consecutive Life Terms for Child Sexual Assault
GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas — A Galveston County jury has sentenced a man to consecutive life sentences after convicting him of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old child.
The investigation began in August 2024, when the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit launched an inquiry into two separate incidents involving allegations of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.
Detectives executed a search warrant at the suspect’s trailer, collected physical evidence, and obtained statements from witnesses as well as the suspect, 35-year-old Rodney Smith Jr.
During the investigation, authorities recovered a recorded jail phone call between Smith and the victim’s mother. Investigators said Smith gave conflicting accounts during the conversation that contradicted earlier statements he had made to detectives.
The case proceeded to trial on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, in the 10th District Court, where prosecutors presented testimony from multiple witnesses, including the child victim and an additional witness connected to a prior conviction involving Smith in Illinois.
Late Wednesday afternoon, the jury returned a verdict finding Smith guilty on two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.
During the punishment phase, jurors assessed the maximum sentence allowed by law, ordering life in prison on each count, with the sentences to run consecutively.
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office credited the successful prosecution to a coordinated effort involving the Galveston County Child Advocacy Center, the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office, Assistant District Attorneys Candace Freeman and Erica Mercado, and the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Team at UTMB.
