WHARTON COUNTY — An El Campo man previously reported on by Wharton Post could remain confined after completing his prison sentence following a verdict in 23rd District Court.
A jury determined July 14 that 48-year-old Robert Lee Gonzales is a “repeat sexually violent offender,” finding that he would pose a danger to the public if released into the community. The verdict was returned after approximately 40 minutes of deliberation.
Gonzales pleaded guilty in March 2024 to five counts of sexual assault of a child for offenses committed between November 2014 and August 2019. The four victims were boys between the ages of 13 and 15.
None of the offenses involved physical contact between Gonzales and the victims. However, Texas law allows viewing certain illegal sexual images involving children to be prosecuted as sexual assault.
Gonzales was sentenced to eight years in prison and received credit for 1,663 days—approximately four and a half years—already served. He is eligible for parole, with his sentence currently scheduled to end in August 2027.
During the civil commitment trial, jurors heard psychiatric evaluations and statements from officials at the prison where Gonzales was held.
The jury’s verdict could result in Gonzales being sent to the Texas Civil Commitment Center in Littlefield after his prison sentence. The secure facility houses sexually violent offenders under court-ordered treatment that can continue indefinitely.
District Judge John Maher must still decide whether to grant Gonzales another civil commitment hearing. If that request is denied, Gonzales may appeal the verdict to the 13th Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi.
Gonzales is currently being held in the Wharton County Jail. Wharton Post previously reported that he was booked July 2 on a bench warrant. At the time, jail records did not explain why the warrant had been issued. The latest court proceedings now provide additional context surrounding that booking.
The investigation that led to Gonzales’ criminal charges began in 2019 after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided information to the Texas Attorney General’s Child Exploitation Unit.
Investigators alleged that Gonzales uploaded child sexual abuse material through a social media account. Search warrants executed during the investigation reportedly uncovered communications involving two children, along with additional illegal images. Both children were identified and interviewed.
Gonzales previously worked in the cafeteria at El Campo Middle School and at an El Campo grocery store. He was arrested in August 2019 after investigators raided an Eagle Lake residence and recovered child sexual abuse material reportedly shared with him.
The civil commitment process remains pending until the judge rules on Gonzales’ request for another hearing.