Child molester convicted, sentenced to prison
Written by Natalie Frels • October 25, 2024
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Hays County Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins today announced that Joseph Pavelka, 34, formerly of San Marcos 9th District, has been found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of child molestation. . Children through sexual contact. Pavelka was not eligible for probation based on the severity of the violation. He was sentenced by Chief Justice Gary Steele on Thursday, October 10, to six years’ imprisonment on a concurrent basis for all three charges. Pavelka is required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. On August 19, 2024, a Hays County jury found Pavelka guilty of sexually abusing his victims, who were 17 and 18 years old at the time, starting when they were 6 and 7 years old. Evidence shows that the abuse was not immediately disclosed because the defendant threatened the victim, telling her he would “cause trouble” and that he would not be believed. During the trial, the state presented the victim’s childhood diary that described abuse and emotional trauma at the hands of Pavelka. After reading the verdict, the jury expressed their belief in the victim and their hope for closure. One juror returned to court for the penalty phase to assist the victim. Before sentencing, the judge spoke privately to the victim and said he believed her testimony. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Cassidy Storey and Rowan St. John. “I would like to thank the victim for the patience and courage to stand up to her abuser after years of silence,” Storey said. “The jury’s verdict sends a message to her and this community that child sexual abuse will not be tolerated, no matter how long it takes for the perpetrator’s crimes to become known.” Additionally, Hays County Detective Sgt. District Attorney Kelly Higgins announced today that Randall Mosby, 59, of Kyle, was sentenced to life in prison on October 18, 2024. On October 18, 2024, a jury found Randall Mosby guilty of the crime. Continuous sexual abuse and invasive visual recording of children. Randall Mosby pleaded guilty to charges of invasive video recording at the start of his trial, but after hearing all the evidence, the jury also found him guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child. Evidence at trial showed that Randall Mosby sexually abused the child over several years, starting when the child was approximately 7 years old. The defendant also placed hidden cameras in the victim’s bathroom and bedroom, and during the law enforcement investigation, the victim came forward to detectives and disclosed all of the years of sexual abuse. The jury also heard evidence that the defendant was court-martialed in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1992 and convicted of sex crimes against children. Judge Dan Mills noted Mosby’s prior convictions for child sex crimes, after he was convicted of continuous sexual abuse and invasive recording of a child, under the Texas AutoLife Act. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. . Judge Mills also sentenced defendant to a maximum sentence of two years in state prison for second degree invasive video recording. This case was investigated by the Kyle Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Miranda Ebersole and Elizabeth Schmidt. “We want to thank the victims in this case who had the extraordinary courage and strength to come forward and confront their abusers in court,” Eversole said. “I would also like to thank Sergeant Condon from Kyle Police Station for his hard work on this case.” Mr Higgins said cases of this nature were a high priority for the agency. He added that no matter how much time passes, justice will be served for those who harmed the children.
