Journal entry leads to East Texas man’s arrest for sexual assault of a minor

TRINITY COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – A minor’s diary entry was submitted as evidence following an investigation into an East Texas man accused of sexually abusing her.

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According to the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office, investigators were alerted to a possible case of child sexual assault on October 6. The department said the case involved a 15-year-old who may have been sexually abused about four or five years ago.

Officers spoke with the child’s mother, who claimed the assault occurred over several years.

According to reports, “the victim screamed to her mother after referring to a dream [she] had previously had.” Officers were also told that Justin Brandon Herring had had multiple allegations of sexual assault in the past, the sheriff’s office said.

The victim had previously written in her diary:

“I have to confess something that I can’t tell anyone, and I was afraid of what mom would do…so…every time I think about it, my stomach turns and I get really hot and scared and I even start breathing really hard but… these things that [Herring] did it [redacted]He did this to me,” the victim wrote.

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It was determined that Herring and the victim are currently not in direct contact and live in separate residences. During a forensic interview, the victim reported several instances in which Herring had the victim alone two months after she turned ten.

Arrest warrants have been obtained for Herring, who was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of persistent sexual abuse of children under 14 and two counts of indecent sexual contact with a child. He is being held in the Trinity County Jail on a $600,000 bond.

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