GALVESTON – A Galveston County jury has sentenced 35-year-old Rodney Gayle Smith to two consecutive life terms following his conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child.

The verdict was returned Wednesday after jurors deliberated for less than an hour. On Thursday, the same jury assessed punishment and granted prosecutors’ request for stacked sentences, resulting in back-to-back life terms.

Under Texas law, sentences for multiple convictions stemming from the same criminal act are often served concurrently. However, the law permits consecutive, or stacked, sentences in certain cases, including aggravated sexual assault of a child younger than 14.

In Texas, a life sentence is defined as 99 years. State parole laws allow a person serving a life sentence to become eligible for parole after 30 years, depending on statutory requirements.

Prosecutors told the court the jury indicated concern that concurrent sentences would not adequately reflect the severity of the offense.

The case was tried over two days, during which prosecutors called eight witnesses. The prosecution was led by Felony Crimes Chief Candice Freeman and Assistant District Attorney Ericka Mercado of the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office.