Matthew Albert Stubbert Convicted of Sexual Assault Of A Child

Judge Parish hands down 20 year prison term as penalty

GILMER, TX, Feb. 9, 2009 -- Matthew Albert Stubbert, 35, of Gilmer, was convicted of Sexual Assault of a Child and sentenced to a prison term of 20 years Friday in the 115th District Court of Judge Lauren Parish.

According to information released today by Upshur D.A. Billy Byrd, Stubbert entered a plea of guilty and requested Parish assess punishment, asking the judge to place him under Community Supervision. He testified that he had never before been convicted of a felony.

On stubborn cross-examination by Byrd, though, Stubbert admitted that he took advantage of a vulnerable teenage girl who held him in a position of trust, reluctantly saying that he had preyed upon the child and had engaged in sexual activity with her more times than he could remember.

In his closing argument, Byrd asked the court to assess a punishment that would be sufficient to protect the children of Upshur County from Stubbert, and that would deter others in the county form preying upon children here.

The 20 year term meted out by Judge parish was the maximum penalty Stubbert could have been given for the charge, which is a second degree felony.