Editor’s note: The Beeville Bee-Picayune makes it a policy to not identify the names of juvenile offenders or victims of sexual assaults. In order to comply with that policy the names of the victim and witnesses, as well as a photo of the offender, was withheld in this story.

A 29-year-old Beeville man convicted Wednesday of aggravated sexual assault of a child was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Thursday.

A Bee County jury spent about an hour deliberating Joseph Christian Brasher’s punishment before returning with the unanimous verdict.

Brasher never looked directly at the jury as District Court Judge Mike Welborn read their verdict aloud during the sentencing portion of the trial on Thursday.

He often looked out of a window from his seat and watched traffic pass on North Washington Street or the wind whip the majestic oak trees outside the courthouse.

“I don’t know why you did what you did,” the girl’s mother said, choking back sobs as she confronted Brasher at the end of the trial. “My daughter trusted you and this is how you betray us?”

A state law allows victims or their representatives to confront the accused once they are convicted and sentenced.

“My daughter looked up to you and you hurt her,” the girl’s mother said. “For two years, my daughter has suffered because of you, but my daughter will move on now. She won’t have to worry about you anymore.”

The seven-woman, five-man jury convicted Brasher on Wednesday of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first degree felony offense punishable by up to life in prison and a $10,000 fine.

They also found Brasher guilty of indecency with a child, a second degree felony offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Brasher is accused of having sex with the girl, who was seven at the time, and touching her inappropriately on July 16, 2007.

Jury selection began Monday and testimony got underway Tuesday afternoon. The girl told jurors that Brasher, a friend of the family, had repeatedly assaulted her sexually.

Brasher, defended by attorney Michelle Ochoa, did not testify.

The jury began deliberating guilt or innocence in the case around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and returned guilty verdicts on both counts around 6 p.m.

The sentencing portion of the trial began Thursday morning with Deborah Branch, assistant district attorney, calling the girl’s mother as a witness.

“(My daughter) has lost her innocence,” the distraught mother told the jury. “She has struggled with this for the past two years. She’s a changed person. It’s destroyed her. It was the ultimate betrayal.”

Branch asked jurors to sentence Brasher to at least 25 years in prison on the aggravated sexual assault of a child charge and 20 years for the indecency with a child charge.

“Mr. Brasher has taken away this little girl’s innocence,” she said.

Ochoa asked jurors to consider sentencing her client to probation, and noted that Brasher would be punished with thousands of dollars worth of fines and fees for the duration of his probation, as well as have to meet dozens of other strict requirements.

Branch told jurors that Brasher deserved a long prison sentence for his crimes, and that if he received probation he could simply end up with a shorter prison sentence of 10 years if he ever chose to violate the terms of his community supervision.

The jury began deliberating around 11:30 a.m. Thursday and went to lunch at noon. They returned to deliberate at 1:30 p.m. and returned with a verdict at 2:10 p.m.

The jury sentenced Brasher to 35 years in prison on the aggravated sexual assault charge and 15 years for the indecency charge.

He will have to spend at least half of each sentence in prison before he is eligible for parole.

Welborn ordered Brasher to serve both sentences concurrently, or at the same time, which means he will be eligible for parole after 17 1/2 years.