Williamson man's case is the 1st under Jessica's Law

A Williamson County grand jury has indicted a man on a capital charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child, making him the first person in Texas charged under a new state law that carries harsher penalties for sex offenders.

If convicted, Alfredo Soto Enriquez, 35, would face a minimum punishment of 25 years in prison, part of tougher sentencing rules known as Jessica's Law. Under old laws, Enriquez could have been eligible for parole after serving part of his sentence. Now, parole is no longer an option.

Enriquez is accused of molesting a 10-year-old girl at least twice from September to October, authorities said. He also faces seven counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child.

Enriquez's attorney, Bristol Myers, of Austin, said the allegations are untrue and that his client is "looking forward to his day in court."

Enriquez remains in the Williamson County Jail with bail set at $500,000.

He is the first Texas resident indicted under the new law, Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley and the Texas District and County Attorneys Association said.

The measure is named for Jessica Lunsford, a Florida girl who was abducted and killed. More than a dozen states have passed versions of Jessica's Law, which allows the death penalty for people convicted of twice raping a child under the age of 14.