Three life sentences were upheld for a Starr County man convicted on charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child, the Starr County district attorney announced Thursday.

Santos Barron-Villarreal was convicted in 2023 of repeatedly abusing two children and one adult who came forward about the abuse she endured as a child, according to Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez.

Shortly after he was convicted and sentenced to serve three life sentences without the possibility of parole and pay a fine of $30,000, Barron-Villarreal filed to appeal.

An opinion issued Wednesday by the 4th Court of Appeals in an Antonio called Barron-Villarreal’s appeal “moot,” and affirmed the original conviction.

The ruling by the court of appeals brings “long awaited closure” to the case, Ramirez said.

“The wheels of justice may turn slowly, but with persistence and dedication, they do turn, and today, they turned in favor of truth and accountability,” Ramirez said in a statement. “Today’s ruling affirms what we knew from the start: these girls were telling the truth and justice was rightly served. My office remains committed to seeing justice through, from the courtroom to the appellate courts, to ensure that predators like Barron-Villarreal are held fully accountable."