Houston Man Sentenced in Horrific Child Torture Case

HOUSTON — WARNING: Contains disturbing details

A Houston businessman who “repeatedly tortured two young children” aged 3 and 4 is headed to prison. A judge sentenced Victor Prado, 45, to two life sentences after jurors found him guilty of a horrific child abuse case.

“This man intentionally tortured two little children and now, hopefully, he will spend the rest of his life in prison,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said.

Prado dated the victims’ mother in 2019 and 2020 and allowed her and her children to live in a commercial office building in the Alief neighborhood where he owned a moving company. He was supposed to babysit the children while she went to work. Instead, he repeatedly beat them, starved them, and tied them up with plastic zip ties.

When Child Protective Services removed the children in May 2020, they were in such poor condition that they were taken to Texas Children’s Hospital.

The 4-year-old boy was severely malnourished, weighed just 30 pounds and “looked like a skeleton,” doctors testified at the trial. He suffered multiple bone fractures in various stages of healing and permanent loss of brain tissue.

Her 3-year-old sister suffered multiple blunt force trauma injuries, including broken ribs and a severe intestinal injury. She also suffered from pressure sores.

Both children had fractured pelvises, an injury typically seen only in children who are victims of car accidents. They also had ligature marks on their hands, wrists, ankles and feet that left permanent scars.

“At a time in their lives when they should have been receiving love and affection, these two children were subjected to violence and fear. They lost their innocence,” said Assistant District Attorney Ashlea Sheridan. “They will have to live the rest of their lives with the consequences of what this man did to them, and so should he.”

Doctors who treated the children described their injuries as “childhood torture,” as defined in the Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma as follows:

• “At least two physical assaults, occurring in at least two incidents or in a single prolonged incident, that could cause prolonged physical pain, emotional distress, bodily injury or death
• And at least two elements of psychological violence such as isolation, intimidation, emotional/psychological abuse, terror, contempt or deprivation.

Jurors found Prado guilty of two counts of injury to a child causing serious bodily harm, a first-degree felony.

He will have to serve at least 30 years in prison before being eligible for parole at age 75.

We reached out to the district attorney’s office to see if the mother has also been charged. We will update this article if we receive a response.

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RELATED: Police search for man accused of torturing children in southwest Houston

If you or someone you know is experiencing any form of child abuse, or if you suspect that a child is being abused, you can get help. You can start by contacting one of these agencies or organizations.

• Children’s Assessment Center 1-800-252-5400
• Help for children 1-800-4-A-CHILD
• Houston Police Department Juvenile Division 713-731-5353
• Houston Crime Stoppers 713-521-4600

Children can also talk to an adult they trust, such as a teacher, principal or school counselor.