On January 9, 2026, a Comal County jury found Jarid James Stout, 35, of Orange, Texas, guilty of Sexual Assault, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Assault Family Violence – Impeding Breath or Circulation. On January 12, 2026, the jury assessed punishment at 13 years in prison for Sexual Assault, 15 years for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and made an affirmative finding that a deadly weapon (a firearm) was used or exhibited during the commission of that offense. The jury also assessed 10 years in prison with a $10,000 fine—the maximum sentence and maximum fine—for Assault Family Violence – Impeding Breath or Circulation. As a result of the Sexual Assault conviction, Stout will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Visiting Judge Robert Updegrove, who presided over the trial, ordered the Sexual Assault sentence to run consecutively to the two sentences, resulting in a total sentence of 28 years in prison.
On August 14, 2021, Comal County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call placed by the couple’s friends, who had been vacationing with them in Comal County. The victim had run to the couple asking for help after Stout had viciously beaten her. The couple took pictures of the prolific injuries to her face and neck before leaving the residence. The couple fled the residence, leaving the victim with Stout out of fear that he would retaliate against them if they had taken her with them, but called 911 after departing.
When deputies arrived, they found the terrified victim with visible swelling, bruising, and injuries to her head, face, and neck. The victim reported that Stout, her husband, struck her multiple times in the face, picked her up by the neck, and strangled her in an assault that began while she was in the shower. During the assault, Stout drug her into the bedroom where she attempted to yell for help, but Stout shoved a gun in her mouth and threatened to kill her. The victim had injuries to multiple teeth and bruising in the back of her throat from Stout shoving the gun into her mouth. After the assault, Stout forced the victim to apply makeup to conceal her injuries, including a black eye.
During the investigation, deputies recovered a firearm from the scene along with numerous bloody towels. The victim further reported that Stout uses steroids, frequently becomes angry, and has physically assaulted her on numerous occasions in the past. She also disclosed that Stout sexually assaulted her the previous evening, telling her, “It feels like I’m raping you, but you can’t rape your wife.”
In trial, the prosecutors put on 8 witnesses and admitted over 70 exhibits in the guilt/innocence phase alone. The jurors heard from an experienced forensic nurse who has been a part of almost 500 SANE exams and testified that the injuries she saw in this case were some of the worst she’s seen in a rape exam. Many jurors had tears in their eyes while the victim testified and held her own on cross examination from defense counsel. The jury deliberated for a little under 2 hours before unanimously finding Stout guilty on all 3 charges.
In the punishment phase of trial, the State entered several more exhibits and called 2 witnesses to the stand. One of which was Stout’s most recent assault victim from his Gillespie County case where he had recently been put on felony deferred probation for continuous family violence; for acts committed while Comal’s cases were pending. In closing arguments, defense asked for probation while the State asked the jury for a max sentence on all 3 charges. The jury deliberated for almost 2 ½ hours before reaching their unanimous punishment verdict. Before Stout was sentenced, the State requested Judge Updegrove stack the sexual assault sentence in accordance with the law, to which he quickly granted that request. The prosecutors said “Stout’s time of treating women like his own personal chattel has come to an end. You don’t get to rape, beat, and strangle anyone, much less your own wife, and then put a gun in her mouth without serious consequences. And whether he believes it yet or not, Comal County jurors told Stout with their verdicts that you can in fact rape your wife, and, in this County, we will always protect the victims. This win goes to the victim, who is one of the strongest and bravest humans we’ve ever met.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Ashley Indelicato and Jennifer Feldman with assistance from DA Investigators Jacob Starr and Haskell Ivey along with Victim Assistance Coordinator Cherie Perez, Felony Clerk Courtney Butler, and law school intern Kyra Swartz.
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