A 62-year-old Sulphur Springs man received the maximum sentence for stalking a young man in Hopkins County last December. The stalking charge Rocky Allen Wilson was convicted of was enhanced from a third-degree to a second-degree felony offense because of prior felony convictions.
The stalking case was tried before 8th Judicial District Judge Eddie Northcutt on Aug. 11, 2021. After a morning of testimony and a lunch recess, Rocky Allen Wilson changed his plea to guilt. The 8th Judicial District District Attorney’s Office finished presenting evidence that day, and the sentencing hearing was set for Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, before Judge Northcutt.
Prosecutors called on additional witness to testify in during the sentencing portion of Wilson’s trial, the mother of a then-teenage boy Wilson was convicted of harassing in 2014.
According to state and court records, Wilson was convicted in 1994 and sentenced to 6 years incarceration for the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl; and in 1998 to 2 years incarceration for sexual assault of a 16-year-old female and 20 years incarceration for sexual assault of a 15-year-old female child. The convictions were in Dallas, Collin and Denton counties. Wilson was paroled after about 16 years in jail, and began residing in Sulphur Springs.
Wilson was convicted in 2014 in Hopkins County of harassment of a teenage boy, which resulted in Wilson’s parole on the sexual assault conviction being revoked and Wilson being sent back to prison. After being released from prison again, Wilson returned to Sulphur Springs. He was subsequently convicted in Hopkins County of harassment of a teenage boy in November of 2020 of harassment and placed on probation for the offense.
Shortly thereafter, Wilson was accused of stalking another young man in Hopkins County. He was jailed Dec. 9, 2020, on a warrant alleging the stalking offense, and has remained in Hopkins County jail ever since, according to jail and court records.
Wilson was indicted during the February 2021 Grand Jury session on the stalking charge, with the trial following on Aug. 11, 2021, and sentencing hearing during the 9 a.m. district court session Sept. 13, 2021.
After the mother of the 2014 victim testified Monday during the sentencing hearing, Wilson then testified and was cross-examined, court officials reported. Because of Wilson’s prior felony convictions which required prison time, the stalking charge was enhanced from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony offense, which carries a punishment range of 2-20 years in prison.
On Monday, Judge Northcutt sentenced Wilson to the maximum punishment of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
“Rocky Wilson has plagued this community for far too long. Fortunately, the young men he chose to harass were much stronger, in the long run, than he was. These young men stood up to him and told the truth to the Judge, which resulted in this strong, maximum sentence of 20 years,” 8th Judicial District Attorney Will Ramsay said following the judge’s ruling.
