Former lawman gets 14 years for assault of girl, 16

Prosecutor says he abused position of trust; defense attorney to appeal

Paper: Houston Chronicle

Date: Fri 02/08/2008

Section: B Page: 3 Edition: 3 STAR

By DALE LEZON

STAFF

A former Harris County deputy constable who had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years in prison.

A Harris County jury earlier this week convicted Eric Spiller, 36, on two counts of sexual assault of a child. Jurors sentenced him to seven years in prison on each count, and state District Judge Devon Anderson said that the sentences would run consecutively, as requested by prosecutors.

Spiller must serve at least seven years before he is eligible for parole, prosecutors said.

He had been charged with three counts in connection with the relationship, which occurred in 2005. He was acquitted on one.

"This was so unjust," his wife, Denise Spiller, told the media after the verdict was announced.

She said her husband should have received probation.

Harris County Assistant District Attorney Traci Bennett said prosecutors are satisfied with the verdict. "He used his police uniform to ingratiate himself into her life," Bennett said. "He was in a position of trust."

Spiller's attorney, Andrea Marie Kolski, said the former law enforcement officer admitted he had a consensual sexual relationship with the girl, but that it occurred after she was 17.

The age of consent in Texas is 17, Bennett said, but the relationship started in February 2005, several months before the girl's 17th birthday.

"We are very upset with the sentence," Kolski said. "We will be filing notice of appeal."

Prosecutors said Spiller, who was a corporal with the Pct. 4 Constable Office and a 14-year force veteran, met the girl when he made a service call to the family's home.

Prosecutors said Spiller claims he began mentoring the girl, who was depressed and had low self-esteem. After the girl's mother complained to Spiller's supervisor about the deputy constable spending time with her daughter, prosecutors said, Spiller was ordered to stay away from her.

He violated that order and was allowed to resign from the precinct rather than be fired, Bennett said.

Spiller, she said, was on duty and in his patrol car with the girl when the sexual contact occurred. He also took her to motels.

This was the second time Spiller had gone to trial on the charges. His first trial ended in a hung jury in 2006.

Copyright notice: All materials in this archive are copyrighted by Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division, Hearst Newspapers Partnership, L.P., or its news and feature syndicates and wire services. No materials may be directly or indirectly published, posted to Internet and intranet distribution channels, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed in any medium. Neither these materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use.