PolkCountyToday.com

Livingston Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Child Sex Crimes, LIVINGSTON, July 27, 2022 - A Polk County jury deliberated just seventeen minutes Wednesday afternoon before returning a “Guilty” verdict against 58 year-old Arnaldo Segura of Livingston for the First Degree felony offense of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child. The charge stemmed from a March 24, 2019 incident of molestation involving the defendant’s nine year old stepdaughter. During the guilt phase of the trial, Polk County District Attorney Lee Hon called the victim and her mother who testified that on the date of the offense, the victim’s mother was away at work leaving the victim and her six year old sister in the care of Segura. From the testimony, it was established that during the afternoon hours, while the victim’s mother was away from the home, Segura entered the bedroom of the victim and performed various acts of sexual abuse against the child. Later that evening, while Segura was a work, the victim made an outcry to her mother regarding what Segura had done to her. The following day, the victim and her mother reported the matter to the Polk County Sheriff’s Department which began an investigation into the incident. A forensic interview of the young victim and her sister was performed at Childrenz Haven, Polk County’s child advocacy center, by Forensic Interviewer Jayme Haynes who testified at trial. Later the same day, the victim underwent a sexual assault examination at CHI-St. Luke’s Hospital in Livingston by SANE nurse Patricia Schofield who also testified. During the initial investigation, the Polk County District Attorney’s Office was contacted by another victim of Segura’s who testified at trial that in the early 1990’s when her mother was married to Segura and living in Lufkin, Segura had performed multiple acts of sexual abuse against her over a two year period of time. This female victim, now 40, testified that she had never reported the matter to authorities in Angelina County due to emotional trauma and the fact that Segura had shortly thereafter separated from her mother. Following the jury’s guilty verdict on Wednesday in District Judge John Wells’ 411th District Court, Hon presented evidence that in 1994, Segura had been convicted of Murder in Angelina County and was sentenced to twelve years in prison. Later, following his release from prison, in 2010 Segura was again involved in the criminal justice system being place on probation for Felony Driving While Intoxicated. In his closing argument to the jury at punishment, Hon argued that Segura “was a repeat child molester who had been given multiple opportunities to reform his behavior but refused to do so.” Hon implored the jury to “protect not only other children who Segura might potentially have access to but also the children of Polk County in general by sending a message that the sexual exploitation of children in Polk County would not be tolerated.” Hon reminded the jury that “the reason we require sex offenders to register for life is because they are likely to be a danger to society for the rest of their lives.” The jury deliberated twenty minutes before assessing a sentence of Life in Prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 against Segura.

In the last two months, Polk County juries have assessed sentences of sixty years in prison against Jeffry Merritt McCumber for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, eighty years in prison against repeat felony offender Bart Thomas Moore for Felony Failure to Stop and Render Aid and now a Life Sentence against Arnaldo Segura for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.