Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A Beaumont man was sentenced to 20 years in prison in relation to child sex assault charges.

Jonathan Davis, 41, was found guilty Wednesday of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child for incidents that occurred on or around June 11, 2016, in Beaumont.

A jury sentenced him Thursday to 15 years on the aggravated sexual assault of a child charge and five years on the indecency with a child charge.

Judge Raquel West ruled the sentences be stacked, meaning Davis must serve one sentence after the other.

During the punishment phase, defense attorney Marvin Lewis Jr. called Davis’ on and off girlfriend of more than 14 years to the stand, as well as the woman’s adult daughter, who considered Davis as her father.

The women tearfully testified they did not believe the accusations against the man and they trust him being alone with their children.

Prosecutor Tatiana Zelezniak quizzed the women about the allegations, but they both maintained his innocence.

Lewis also called Ronnie Davis, the accused’s brother, to the stand in the punishment phase.

Ronnie Davis said his first reaction at the news of the accusations was disbelief and that he still doesn’t believe the charges.

“Because I know my brother. I know the integrity of him, his character, regardless of what the court found out,” Ronnie Davis said.

Lewis asked him to clarify the statement “what the court found out” — he was referring to the verdict.

During closing arguments Wednesday, Lewis worked to sow doubt regarding the testimonies of eight individuals who took the stand on Tuesday.

Lewis noted an adult close to the case had been the victim of sexual abuse as a child and did not notice any red flags in connection with Davis.

This person did not initially believe the victim, Lewis said, until the child underwent an interview at the Garth House.
Lewis noted the victim’s testimony Tuesday had inconsistencies.

Prosecutor Zelezniak reminded jurors the case is not about the adult and whether she believed the victim, it is about the guilt of Davis.

Zelezniak also noted the victim was consistent in her testimony. The crime occurred in 2016 and the outcry was made in 2019. The prosecutor read from the child’s original statements when she was interviewed by the Garth House and a sexual assault nurse examiner.