SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – A Hopkins County man opted to have the jury decide his sentence if he were convicted of sex crimes against minors. On Thursday, they decided to sentence him to life in prison.
Jason Crossland, of Sulphur Springs, was found guilty on two counts of possessing child pornography. One count involved a video of a minor being assaulted, and the other for possession of 100 or fewer explicit images of a minor.
The jury had to review the explicit evidence as the prosecution built its case against Crossland. After a relatively brief deliberation, according to the prosecutor, the jury found Crossland guilty on the charges.
Having elected for the jury to determine the punishment if he was convicted, after brief testimony from both sides, with the prosecution seeking life in prison, the jury deliberated.
The jury responded by imposing ten years of confinement on the third-degree charge, plus a $10,000 fine. On the first-degree charge, a life sentence was imposed, plus a $10,000 fine.
The sentences will be served consecutively, according to the district attorney, which means Crossland will spend a minimum of 35 years in prison before he can be eligible for parole.
