Sexual Predator Gets Forty Years
		Burt Eddie Blackwood, 42, was tried and convicted by a Llano county jury of his peers on November 17, 2004, for the Aggravated Sexual Assault of a thirteen year old child.  Jurors heard testimony from several witnesses during the course of the three day trial.  Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (S.A.N.E.) Debbie Coats explained to the jury the difficulty of gathering forensic evidence in a situation such as this one where a child makes what is known as a “Delayed Outcry”. Coats defined the term for the jury and noted that children often do not relate being sexually assaulted initially for many reasons including embarrassment and feelings of being responsible themselves for the assault.  The child stated she had been assaulted by Blackwood sometime during the holiday season of 2003-2004.   The crime was not discovered until she made her outcry in early March 2004.  Coats explained that Delayed Outcries are not uncommon but in fact are the norm with children and are expected.   Llano Police Department Investigator Kent Meadows, investigated the crime and worked closely with the adults the child had trusted and told of the crime.  The jury’s decision rested upon the credibility of the child and their belief that she was relating the truth.  Assistant District Attorney Cheryl Nelson and District Attorney Sam Oatman handled the prosecution of the case while the Defendant was represented by attorney Paul Decuir.  Nelson noted that, “Justice is so important in this type of trial not only for the victim of the assault but also to insure the safety of other children in the community for the future”.                 The jury handed down a sentence of forty years during the penalty phase of the trial after hearing additional evidence of two prior prison terms for felonies consisting of a Robbery and an Aggravated Robbery.  Blackwood will not become eligible for parole until he has served a minimum of half of his sentence.  Judge Doug Shaver sentenced the Defendant and remanded him to the custody of the Director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division, where he will serve out his sentence.