Thirty Year Sentence For Child Trafficker On Promotion Of Child Pornography
- Name: Jerry Castille
- Age: 37
- Court: 359th District Court, Judge Hamilton presiding
- Charges: 1) Promotion of Child Pornography, 2nd Degree Felony
2) Promotion of Child Pornography, 2nd Degree Felony
- Plea: Guilty on 5/30/2023
- Sentence: 30 years TDCJ, Sentences to run concurrently
Jerry Castille, 37, of Houston, Texas, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, after pleading guilty to two second-degree felony charges of Promotion of Child Pornography. Castille’s punishment range was enhanced by a prior prison trip. The Honorable Judge Jacqueline Bello, sitting for Judge Hamilton, imposed the sentence. There is a minimum mandatory service of 7.5 years before eligibility for parole and the imposition of a lifetime protective order for the victim.
Between May and July of 2019, Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office Detective Jerry Serratt, while
monitoring a social media platform notorious for child sexual exploitation, identified Castille as an individual
disseminating sexualized images and videos of a child, identified to be around 12 years old. Detective Serratt commenced an undercover investigation, posing as an interested buyer, which led to the confirmation that the social media profile was operated by Castille.
With the assistance of Special Agents from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Castille and the child were located at a Houston hotel. Upon arrest, officers discovered additional images on Castille’s phone of the child engaging in sexual acts with multiple individuals. The child disclosed that Castille arranged paid sexual encounters between her and adult men.
Castille also faced a Trafficking of a Child charge in Harris County, for which he received a 20-year sentence. Further investigations led to the discovery of three other men who sexually exploited the child. Juan Carlos Hernandez, who pled guilty to Online Solicitation of a Minor and Robert Austin Bustamante, who pled guilty to Online Solicitation of a Minor and other related charges, were each sentenced to 12 years. Another man was charged with Possession of Child
Pornography in Fort Bend County, but his case was dismissed in early 2022.
The Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department
of Public Safety, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, and our partners at Children’s Assessment Center in Houston, Texas Forensic Nurse Examiners, assisted in providing evidence and support necessary to bring this victim justice. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Sara Corradi and Michael Ghutzman.
Prosecutor Sara Corradi: “A young child should never have to endure what this child did at the hands of
this defendant. Thanks to the hard work of many working together, this victim is now safe and can begin
to heal. ”
District Attorney Brett Ligon: “This Defendant’s exploitation of innocence is a chilling crime. His 30-year
sentence loudly declares: in Texas, we have zero tolerance for child predators. We will relentlessly pursue
justice for our children.”
Thirty Year Sentence For Child Trafficker On Promotion Of Child
