Michael Clint Wallace, Jr. of Warren, Texas, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the offense of aggravated sexual assault of a child. The victim was a family member whom Wallace sexually assaulted over approximately four years. The abuse began when the victim was about five years old and ended when she disclosed the abuse at nine.
Tyler County Sheriff's Deputies investigated the case with the Beaumont Child Advocacy Center's assistance. An indictment for continuous abuse of a young child under 14 was obtained by the Tyler County District Attorney’s Office in 2016. However, after further allegations emerged during discussions with an Assistant District Attorney, the Tyler County District Attorney’s Office recused itself. Subsequently, attorneys from the Office of the Attorney General were appointed as special prosecutors.
In April 2019, Wallace was convicted by a Tyler County jury. However, this conviction was overturned on appeal due to inadequate record-keeping by the court reporter during part of the original trial. Scheduled for retrial in November 2024, Wallace chose to plead guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child and waived his right to appeal in exchange for a 30-year sentence.
Wallace is currently 48 years old and will not be eligible for parole until he serves at least half of his sentence.
Assistant Attorneys General Matthew Shawhan and Ahrum Kim from Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Criminal Prosecutions Division represented the State of Texas.