WICHITA COUNTY (KFDX/KJTL) — A man charged with sexually assaulting a family member in Wichita Falls when he was on leave from the Army has signed a plea deal on two of his charges, for a 15-year prison sentence.

William Joseph Melton, 23, was facing trial on three charges. Under the deal he signed, one charge, prohibited sexual conduct, will be dropped according to court documents.

He was arrested in March 2022 about a year after police began investigating alleged child sex crimes. According to affidavits, CPS had also conducted investigations two years prior.

The 12-year-old victim’s aunt told police the girl came to her and told her of long-term sexual abuse by Melton from age seven to 11. The last abuse happened just before Melton left for basic training and when he would come home on leave.

Police said because of the extended time and number of alleged assaults, the girl could not give an exact number of the assaults and other sex acts he forced on her, which she said included being tied down.

Police said they viewed messages from Melton to the victim apologizing for what he had done and blaming it on being “drunk and horny” and that he deserved whatever he had coming to him, but in another message, he offered her $1,000 to have sex again.