A New Boston, Texas, man who sexually assaulted a former girlfriend at gunpoint in 2016 pleaded guilty Monday and received a 30-year sentence.
William Emmett Baucum III, 46, was arrested Feb. 5, 2016, the same day the victim reported he sexually assaulted her repeatedly at his home in New Boston. Baucum was free on a $100,000 bond until January, when 202nd District Judge John Tidwell ordered that he be held in the Bowie County jail for violating the conditions of his release.
The case was scheduled for jury selection Tuesday at the Bowie County Courthouse. However, Baucum decided to accept an offer from the state for a 30-year term, avoiding a possible life sentence. At his final pretrial hearing Monday morning at the Bi-State Justice Building, Baucum appeared to pray as his lawyer, Joe Tyler of Texarkana, conversed at Tidwell's bench with First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp and Assistant District Attorney Lauren Richards.
That afternoon Baucum changed his plea to guilty. He is being held in the Bowie County jail awaiting transport to the Texas Depart-ment of Criminal Justice.
"In prosecuting criminal defendants, our office endeavors to follow the wishes and requests of crime victims, particularly those who have been sexually assaulted. In this case, the victim desired to avoid the stress of trial and agreed to accept a negotiated plea for 30 years' incarceration," Crisp said. "In Texas, the defendant in negotiating a plea agreement waives his right to appeal, so the victim gains additional closure and avoids sometimes-lengthy appeals processes. We respect this victim, a survivor, and understand the reasoning behind her decision. The result is that William Baucum will serve a lengthy prison sentence with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice."
Baucum beat, bit, raped and sodomized the woman for hours the night of Feb. 4, 2016, and into the morning of Feb. 5, according to a probable-cause affidavit. The woman told investigators Baucum became "irritated and aggressive" about 11 p.m. at his home on County Road 122. The assault continued until about 5:30 a.m.
The woman told investigators she was only able to seek help when Baucum left for work in the morning. He took her car keys, cellphone, cash and debit card.
A Bowie County Sheriff's Office deputy who responded to the woman's emergency call at 8 a.m. Feb. 5, 2016, noted visible redness and swelling on the woman's face, as well as a bite mark on her lower jaw. The woman told the deputy Baucum bit her and hit her on other parts of her body as well.
"The victim stated that (Baucum) placed the barrel of a silver revolver action handgun to her forehead and threatened to kill her," the affidavit states.
The woman reported that Baucum used his genitals, fingers and a sexual aid to rape her.
Officers arrested Baucum at his home later that day. Inside a safe in his home, deputies found the handgun used during the assault, as well as several containers filled with marijuana.
Baucum was indicted in June 2016 on four counts of aggravated sexual assault with a deadly weapon.