PRINCETON, Texas — A North Texas man has been sentenced to nearly 50 years in prison for sexual abuse of a child, according to Collin County District Attorney (DA) Greg Willis.
Benny James Phennel, 38, of Princeton was sentenced to 45 years in prison without parole after a jury found him guilty of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child.
Phennel was known by and had ongoing access to the victim. The DA said he sexually abused the victim over the course of two years, starting when the victim was 10 years old.
The victim told family members about the abuse after becoming concerned that another child was going to be spending the night with Phennel. When confronted by the victim’s family, Phennel admitted that he had “messed around” with the victim. The abuse was then reported to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are proud of this child victim’s courage to disclose her abuse to an adult and to testify against her abuser. And how admirable that her motivation was to protect another child,” Willis said after the sentencing.
Collin County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Olivia Penson investigated the case. The victim was forensically interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, where she disclosed details about the abuse.
The jury found Phennel guilty of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child. Judge John Roach Jr. assessed punishment at 45 years in prison. By law, a sentence for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child is not eligible for parole.
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Mollie Thompson and Jamin Daly prosecuted the case, assisted by District Attorney Investigators Kim Voigt-Eanes and Stephanie Strickland, Victim Assistance Coordinator Ruth Ruiz, and Legal Secretary Christy Ware.
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