Three life sentences for repeat sex offender

Nov. 1 — MIDLAND — Midland County District Attorney Laura Nodolf announced in a news release Friday that a 58-year-old Midland man was sentenced Thursday night to three life terms in prison after who was found guilty of child sexual abuse charges by a Midland. The county jury.

Jackie Nolan Kocks was charged in CR57050 with two counts of aggravated sexual assault on a child and one count of indecency with a child by exposure. The trial began on Monday, October 28, and the jury found Kocks guilty of all three charges at lunchtime on Thursday after deliberating for about three hours. The defendant chose to have the sentence determined by Judge Jeffrey Robnett, who handed down the three life sentences Thursday afternoon.

The evidence presented in the case showed that in 2018 and 2019 the defendant penetrated the sexual organ of a female victim under the age of 14 twice and exposed his genitals to the same child in 2019, the statement said.

The evidence also established that Kocks had previously been convicted of a child sex offense in 1986 in Mitchell County, which required him to register as a sex offender. Under the law, that prior conviction led to automatic life sentences upon conviction on the aggravated sexual assault charges at issue at trial. Judge Robnett then decided to assess the maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment for the Indecency charge. The defendant had been convicted twice before for the offense of driving while intoxicated.

Kocks must serve at least 30 years of his concurrent sentences before being eligible for parole. Even then, parole eligibility does not mean parole will be granted, the release said.

The case was prosecuted by Midland County Deputy District Attorneys Todd Meador and Paola Lujan-Hayes. Kocks was represented by Dallas attorney Nicholas Toufexis. The trial took place in the 441st District Court and was presided over by Judge Jeffrey Robnett.

For more information, contact First Assistant District Attorney Tim Flathers at 688-4427.