Toddler gets STD by man also accused of abusing 13-year-old, Texas officials say

A man accused of giving a sexually transmitted disease to a 3-year-old girl will now spend decades in prison, Texas officials said.

The Amarillo Police Department began investigating the case in January 2020 when the 3-year-old foster child showed symptoms of having an STD, according to a June 24 news release from the 47th District Attorney’s Office.

Authorities said Enrique Elizalde, now 27, was identified as the suspect, as the toddler previously lived with him.

In an interview with a detective, Elizalde said he had sexually touched the child when she lived with him, officials said.

A second victim, a 13-year-old relative of Elizalde, later said she had also been sexually abused by Elizalde, the district attorney’s office said.

Elizalde was recently found guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child, according to the news release. He was ordered to serve 25 years in prison without parole.

“Verdicts like this are a reminder of how seriously our community takes the obligation to protect our youngest and most vulnerable children,” District Attorney Jason Herring said in a statement. “Our office is proud to have prosecuted this case and grateful for the jury’s verdict.”

Amarillo is in the Texas panhandle and is about a 260-mile drive west from Oklahoma City.