Wichita Falls man convicted of two counts of child rape
A jury took less than 15 minutes Friday to find a Wichita Falls man guilty of raping a 10-year-old boy in 2016 at his home.
Nelson Christopher Head, 52, was found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child by a jury of eight men and four women in 78th District Court, according to court records.
The jury deliberated for 14 minutes and 42 seconds before reaching a verdict on the fifth day of the trial.
Head's bail was revoked, and he was taken into custody Friday, court records show.
More: Prosecutor: 'It shouldn't hurt to be a child'
The punishment phase of the trial is slated to begin Monday morning.
Head faces up to life in prison for the Dec. 1, 2016, sexual assaults at the apartment he shared with the boy and his mother.
Check back with www.timesrecordnews.com for more on this developing story.
The child was being home schooled and was often alone with Head at the apartment while his mother worked, according to testimony.
Head forced the boy, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder around then, into disgusting sex acts, according to Wichita County Chief Felony Prosecutor Dobie Kosub's opening statement Tuesday.
More: Wichita Falls man accused of raping boy to go on trial Monday
Now 14 years old and living elsewhere, the boy reluctantly testified about "the thing" Tuesday and Wednesday, saying it hurt and left him confused.
The boy testified that he told Head he didn't want to engage in sex with him.
His mother gave up custody of him after his accusations against Head, leading to his being shuttled from foster home to foster home, according to the 14-year-old's testimony. He has since found happiness with a family and may be adopted.
Defense attorney Rick Mahler attempted to paint a picture of a wily, troubled and frightening child who threatened to stab to death both his mother and Head, her boyfriend.
Head's appearance had changed drastically by the time the case got to trial. His hair had turned snowy, and he had grown a long white beard.
More: Man accused of sexually assaulting 10-year-old boy
Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news, politics and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Nelson Head convicted of child sexual assault
