Paper: Houston Chronicle

Date: Wed 02/06/2008

Section: B Page: 3 Edition: 3 STAR

Ex-lawman faces prison in sex assault of girl, 16

By DALE LEZON

Staff

A former Harris County deputy constable was convicted Tuesday of sexual assault of a child and faces up to 20 years in prison.

Eric Spiller, 36, was convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child in connection with his relationship with a 16-year-old girl. He had been charged on three counts, but was acquitted of one.

Prosecutors said he had a sexual relationship with the girl in 2005. They said he claims he was mentoring the girl, who was depressed and had low self-esteem.

Spiller's defense attorney, Andrea Marie Kolski, could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

Jurors are scheduled to continue hearing testimony at 10 a.m. today in the trial's punishment phase. The trial is in the 177th state District Court.

Spiller, who was a corporal with the Pct. 4 Constable Office and a 14-year veteran, met the girl when he answered a call to the family's home, prosecutors said. The mother told officers her daughter broke a window.

Spiller offered his services as a mentor for the girl, prosecutors said, but the relationship was sexual.

Spiller, they said, was on duty and in his patrol car with the girl when the sexual contact occurred. He also took her to motels, they said.

Copyright notice: All materials in this archive are copyrighted by Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division, Hearst Newspapers Partnership, L.P., or its news and feature syndicates and wire services. No materials may be directly or indirectly published, posted to Internet and intranet distribution channels, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed in any medium. Neither these materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use.