NEW BOSTON, Texas - A jury of six men and six women was selected Tuesday to decide if a local man is guilty of sexually abusing the friend of his child.
Russell Layne Little, 42, is charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child and three counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact. Opening statements and testimony are scheduled to begin this morning before 102nd District Judge Jeff Addison at the Bowie County courthouse in New Boston.
Little allegedly assaulted a 14-year-old friend of his daughter's in 2017, according to a probable-cause affidavit. The girl made an outcry of sexual abuse to an adult member of her church in 2017. The alleged victim reported that she was sexually abused by Little when she would spend the night with Little's daughter at Little's residence in Nash, Texas.
Little faces two to 20 years in prison on each of the five felony counts pending against him. Little posted bond on a $50,000 bail following his arrest last year. That bond was revoked Oct. 7, and Little is currently in custody.
A motion to revoke Little's bond alleges that he violated his bond conditions by committing the offenses of harassment, retaliation, terroristic threat and assault by threat. Little allegedly made threatening statements toward a witness scheduled to testify at his trial for the state.
"The defendant has a gun and stated that he was homicidal toward this witness," the motion states.
Little's lawyer, Josh Potter of Texarkana, has filed a notice that he intends to ask the jury to recommend probation. A jury can recommend that a defendant's sentence be probated and the defendant placed on community supervision if the jury sentences to 10 or fewer years and makes the recommendation for a probated sentence.
Assistant District Attorneys Randle Smolarz and Craig Foster are prosecuting.