A former South Texas Catholic priest convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl less than a decade ago will likely spend the rest of his days behind bars.
Attorney Bryan Harris confirmed that a Bee County jury sentenced Stephen Dougherty to 60 years in prison Thursday for aggravated sexual assault.
"Brave woman glad to see at least some justice was done," Harris said.
Harris' client was happy to see Doughtery behind bars finally.
"It won't give her her childhood back, it is a way to hope this man doesn't do this to other children like he did to her and at least on other people we know," Harris said.
According to Harris, his client isn't the only victim.
"Original boy he raped made his presence known to Diocese in 2011," Harris said.
In December of 2011, the diocese of Corpus Christi received a letter from a man saying Dougherty raped him when he was 8 and 9 -years old back in the 1980's. When Dougherty was confronted with the message, he admitted that the allegations were true. The diocese then took away his public ministry.
"December 15, 2011, met with Mr. Doughtery told him he would no longer have a ministry," Harris said.
According to Harris the very next day is when the rape of Bee County victim occurred at a ranch outside of Beeville, Texas.
"The next day is the day the rape occurred after asking him to step down from ministry," Harris said.
The victim was a 13-year-old girl her outcry wasn't until 2015.
"Both herself, as well as her grandparent's lives, were threatened by this gentleman if she revealed this," Harris said. "Powerful person a person connected with the extremely wealthy family she was extremely brave to come forward."
After Doughtery indictment, a civil lawsuit was filed in Nueces County against him from the Diocese of Corpus Christi, and the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity.
"Very possible there are other victims of this child predator," Harris said.
Doughtery is not eligible for parole until he has served at least half of the 60-year sentence.
'He was molesting children as far back as 1981 and raped this girl in 2011, that's a 30 year period very possible other victims," Harris said.
Doughtery was assigned to various churches in Mathis, Florida and Puerto Rico along with Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Corpus Christi.
"Wasn't until March 2014 that church Diocese of CC signed a new agreement that forbade him from having contact with persons under the age of 18," Harris said.
According to Harris, Doughtery has still not been laicized by the Catholic church.
The civil lawsuit filed in Nueces County is expected to proceed to trial later on this year.
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