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Wednesday, June 25, 1997

McQuay gets 20 years on three more counts of molestation

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Convicted child molester Larry Don McQuay was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday after a judge found him guilty on three more counts of child molestation.

McQuay, who claims to have attacked scores of children, has begged the state to surgically castrate him to prevent him from repeating his crimes.

He was paroled in April 1996 under mandatory release rules after serving six years in prison for the sexual assault of a 7-year-old boy in San Antonio. Under teams of his release, McQuay was kept in a lockup in downtown San Antonio.

On Tuesday, McQuay, 33, waived his right to a jury trial but pleaded innocent to three charges of indecency with a child stemming from a 1989 incident in San Antonio.

No testimony was presented, and after 15 minutes of reviewing written evidence state District Judge Terry McDonald found McQuay guilty. He assessed three 20-year sentences to be served concurrently.

Describing McQuay as "manipulator," McDonald ordered that he be taken to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville immediately.

Later, outside the courtroom, defense attorney Clay Conrad described McQuay as a man "obsessed with his fantasies" who should receive treatment or the castration he has sought.

The defense has indicated it will challenge the latest charges based on the time that elapsed between the incidents and his indictment last August.

Although McQuay had asked to be castrated, Bexar County District Attorney Steve Hilbig said the best way to protect the public from him is to keep McQuay behind bars.

TDCJ spokesman Glen Castlebury said Tuesday that McQuay likely will be eligible for surgical castration under a new state law making the operation available on a voluntary basis to repeat child molesters.

"It appears he will be eligible for the new castration law. We will have to examine that," Castlebury said. "We have a joint committee between our people and the University of Texas Medical Branch working right now on the whole issue of how to implement (the law)." Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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