WACO, Texas — A 23-year-old Waco man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to the sexual assault of a 4-year-old female family member in March 2025.
Isaac Dwaine Cotton entered a guilty plea to two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child by contact in a plea agreement with the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office.
Judge Thomas West of 19th State District Court accepted the plea and handed down two 35-year prison terms on the first two counts and two 20-year terms on the remaining counts. All sentences will be served concurrently.
How the Case Came to Light
The case broke open because a little girl told her parents what happened to her.
The child reported that Cotton touched her inappropriately and forced her to touch him. She also told her grandmother that Cotton had penetrated her with a frozen ice pop.
After hearing the child’s account, one of Cotton’s roommates found a green frozen ice pop stick in the trash can next to Cotton’s bed — a detail noted in the arrest affidavit.
Her parents acted immediately, contacting police as soon as they heard what their daughter had been through.
Prosecutor Praises the Parents
McLennan County prosecutor Luke McCowan made a point of recognizing the role the child’s family played in securing the outcome.
“We are grateful for the mother and stepfather who listened to their child about the abuse at the hands of Mr. Cotton, and immediately contacted the police,” McCowan said.
He added that having parents who protect and support their children can completely change how a child sexual abuse case unfolds.
In this case, it meant Cotton received a lengthy prison sentence, waived his right to appeal, and the child was spared from having to testify in court.
“Ensuring justice and closure for this family,” McCowan said.
What the Plea Agreement Included
Under the plea deal, the DA’s office waived a charge element that would have required Cotton to serve a minimum of 25 years to life with no possibility of parole — a provision that applies when the victim is younger than 6.
With the agreement as accepted, Cotton will be eligible to seek parole after serving credit for 17 and a half years.
Cotton’s defense attorney, Lyle Gripp, offered little comment, saying only that “it’s a sad case.”
A Second Case Was Also Dropped
Separately, the DA’s office announced it is not pursuing an unrelated aggravated assault case from February 2025 in which Cotton allegedly threatened three men with a machete during a disturbance in the 3700 block of North 25th Street. No injuries were reported in that incident.
Cotton acknowledged his guilt in the machete case, and Judge West said he considered it while determining the sentence in the child sexual abuse charges.
Do you think 35 years is the right sentence for a crime like this? Share your thoughts in the comments — this is a conversation the community needs to have.
