Houston Police Officer Sentenced to Life for On-Duty Rape of Latino Woman

From [HERE] A former Houston police officer was sentenced to life in prison Monday for raping a woman he abducted while on duty. The woman's identity has not been disclosed to the public but she is a Latino Woman in her late 20's. [MORE]  Abraham Joseph was found guilty on Thursday of two counts of aggravated sexual assault. While on duty in January 2011, a uniformed Joseph abducted a waitress outside a Houston-area nightclub, handcuffed her, drove her away and raped her in a park, KPRC reported.

Joseph was fired from the Houston Police Department in 2011, after he was indicted for the crime, according to Houston radio station News 92 FM. Joseph shook his head and began to cry when the judge affirmed the verdict, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Prosecutors said the victim was courageous in coming forward and taking the stand for three days to testify, according to the Chronicle. During closing arguments, prosecutors told the jury that Joseph used his authority to intimidate several women, KPRC reported. Three other women took the stand during the sentencing phase to talk about their alleged sexual attacks, the Chronicle reported.

"Truth of the matter is you have been sitting in the courtroom for a month with a serial rapist. I hope that's an experience you never have again," prosecutor Heyward Carter told the jury, according to KPRC.

Joseph's defense attorney insisted the sexual encounters were consensual, the Chronicle reported.

He will be eligible for parole after 30 years, according to the newspaper.

The Houston Police Department declined to comment Monday, saying they don't comment on verdicts or sentences by juries.

He'll be eligible for parole after 30 years. He has already filed an appeal.