A San Antonio woman, now in her fifties, has filed a civil lawsuit in Bexar County District Court against Javier Valadez, alleging that he sexually assaulted her when she was a minor, impregnated her at age 13, and forced her into marriage before she turned 18.
Details of the complaint
The complaint seeks over $1 million in damages, describing severe trauma and ongoing mental‑health issues stemming from the alleged relationship. The plaintiff, who asked to remain unnamed, called Valadez “a predator that manipulated a child.”
According to court records, Valadez was indicted in June 1989 for aggravated sexual assault of a child, but the case was dismissed in September 1989 after the teen waived prosecution. The civil suit brings new allegations, stating that Valadez, nearly nine years older, seduced the girl at 13, impregnated her, and obtained a marriage license a month after her 17th birthday in May 1992. The marriage was legal at the time under Texas law that allowed parental consent.
Legal background
Texas Senate Bill 1705, enacted in 2017, now restricts marriages involving minors and eliminates the parental‑consent exception. Valadez and the plaintiff divorced in 1999.
Valadez’s partner, Angela Alderete, declined to comment on the lawsuit but described it as a “cash grab,” noting the plaintiff owes $50,000 in child support. Alderete said Valadez married the teen because he felt sorry for her and that the girl’s mother often left her alone.
Attorney statements
Plaintiff’s attorney Beauregard Fiegel issued a statement saying the suit is about “seeking justice, having her voice heard, and holding the defendant accountable.” The statement alleges the assaults began when the victim was 12 and continued through age 16, with a child born a month after she turned 14. It also claims that neither the defendant, her parents, police, CPS, nor family courts held Valadez accountable.
The complaint lists the victim’s age at the start of the assaults as 12, a year younger than the age noted in the filing, and notes that Valadez and the plaintiff are eight years and eight months apart in age, not the eleven years claimed elsewhere.
Recent court activity
Valadez appeared in court on August 21 for an unrelated child‑custody hearing, where he was kept in a locked room away from cameras. His attorney Megan Meyerson declined to comment.
Valadez was arrested in 2023 on a misdemeanor family‑violence charge, which was later dismissed. He has faced two investigations for indecency with a child in the past five years, both closed without criminal charges.
Community response
The case has drawn attention to historic Texas marriage laws and the lasting impact of abuse on survivors. While the plaintiff insists the lawsuit is unrelated to child‑support matters, the court previously ordered her to pay Valadez over $12,800 in attorney fees after finding a false CPS report.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
