McAllen Couple Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Years-Long Sexual Abuse of Young Child

MCALLEN, Texas – A Hidalgo County judge has imposed 40-year prison sentences on a McAllen couple convicted of repeatedly sexually abusing a child over several years, in a case that prosecutors described as marked by “depraved indifference to human dignity.”

Evelyn Arlet Chavez, 41, and Brian Chavez, 40, both of Edcouch, TX, were each sentenced to 40 years on the charge of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, 20 years for Indecency with a Child by Contact, and 40 years for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child. The sentences were handed down on January 21, 2026, by Judge Joe Ramirez in the 464th District Court.

A Hidalgo County jury had found the couple guilty on all counts on November 20, 2025, following a trial in which testimony detailed the traumatic abuse inflicted on the victim from ages 5 to 8. Jurors heard accounts of how both defendants participated in the assaults—sometimes simultaneously—and employed tactics to conceal their crimes.

The investigation began on July 22, 2022, when the McAllen Police Department received a report of sexual assault involving a minor and the Chavezes. Further probes by authorities revealed the abuse had occurred over an extended period.

“This case is a stark reminder of the importance of protecting our most vulnerable,” Hidalgo County District Attorney Toribio “Terry” Palacios said in a statement. “Nothing is more devastating than to hear about the atrocious acts that were committed by these defendants who acted with a depraved indifference to human dignity. I hope this sentence ensures that they never have another opportunity to harm an innocent child again.”

The case was jointly investigated by the McAllen Police Department, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and the Hidalgo and Starr County Children’s Advocacy Center. Assistant District Attorneys Laura L. Rodriguez and Michelle Beltran, from the Major & Special Crimes division, prosecuted the trial.