38-year-old David Calhoun, of Cooke County, Texas, was sentenced to over 10 life sentences in prison for torturing multiple children.
On Monday, a jury convicted Calhoun on five counts of sexual assault of a child, seven counts of aggravated assault, and one count of assault strangulation.
He was then sentenced to 10 life sentences, a 10-year sentence, and two 20-year sentences.
The victims were said to be Calhoun’s nephews and stepchildren. They had all resided with him in a fifth-wheel trailer near Gainesville.
Court records show that the abuse started in 2017 after his nephews began to be under Calhoun’s care.
Detectives learned about what was going on in 2022. This was when authorities discovered Calhoun’s 16 year-old-nephew in a hotel room in Nebraska. He had been with multiple unrelated adults.
The boy disclosed to authorities that he had left his home to get away from extensive amounts of physical and psychological abuse.
He then revealed scars all over his body and provided more information. The teen stated that he had gone through being tied up for several days and set on fire with gasoline. He had also been attacked with a metal pipe and stabbed with a kitchen knife. The boy added that Calhoun burned him on his face and genitals, nearly each day with either a lighter or a cattle prod.
The teen also stated that Calhoun used a Channellock to take off his fingernails and toenails. He had also knocked out some of his teeth with brass knuckles and wrapped a hair tie around his testicles for an entire day.
Detectives later discovered evidence that the abuse had happened in multiple cities in East Texas. They also found that several children and other adults in the residence had been victimized, as well.
Ashley Calhoun, David Calhoun’s wife, and another adult in the home were also charged in relation to the case. They are expected to go to trial in April.
