Henderson County, Texas (East Texas News) A Henderson County jury has convicted a Mabank man of three life sentences without the possibility of parole after he was found guilty of sex crimes against minors.
According to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office, Derrick Montroll Henley, 40, of Mabank, was convicted in Judge Mark Calhoon’s courtroom during the week of March 9.
The District Attorney’s Office said that, in April 2023, the mother of two of the victims took one of her daughters to the hospital, where the child told hospital staff that she had been sexually abused by Henley. According to prosecutors, a second victim later came forward stating that she had also been sexually abused by Henley.
The district attorney’s office indicated that DNA evidence collected during the investigation linked Henley to the assaults.
The jury heard testimony from both victims, from a detective with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office’s Child Crimes Task Force, from a staff member of Maggie’s House Child Advocacy Center, and from other witnesses. “I’m very proud of how Sheriff Hillhouse’s task force and the District Attorney’s Office worked together to secure the maximum sentence for these children,” said District Attorney Jenny Palmer. “Maggie’s House and the Center HELP, along with the entire task force, went to the courthouse to hear the verdict and support these children.”
