Waco man who abused 4-year-old family member with frozen ice pop sentenced to 35 years in prison

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A Waco man who sexually assaulted a 4-year-old female family member with a frozen ice pop in March 2025 was sentenced to 35 years in prison Thursday.

Isaac Dwaine Cotton, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child by contact in a plea bargain with the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office.

Judge Thomas West of 19^th State District Court accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Cotton to two 35-year prison terms in the first two counts and two 20-year terms in the final two counts. Cotton will serve the terms concurrently and can seek parole after being given credit for serving 17 ½ years in prison.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, the DA’s office waived an element of the charge that would have required Cotton to serve a minimum of 25 years in prison up to life with no parole because the victim was younger than 6.

Prosecutor Luke McCowan also gave notice to the court that the DA’s office is not pursuing an unrelated aggravated assault case from February 2025 in which Cotton threatened three men with a machete during a disturbance in the 3700 block of North 25^th Street. No injuries were reported.

Cotton acknowledged his guilt in that incident, and the judge said he considered that case while imposing sentence in the child sexual abuse cases.

“We are grateful for the mother and stepfather who listened to their child about the abuse at the hands of Mr. Cotton, and immediately contacted the police,” McCowan said. “Having parents who protect and support their children can completely change the trajectory of the prosecution of a child sexual abuse case. Here it secured a lengthy prison sentence, a waiver of appeal and the child did not have to testify, ensuring justice and closure for this family.”

Cotton’s attorney, Lyle Gripp, said only that “it’s a sad case.”

According to an arrest affidavit, the young girl reported Cotton touched her inappropriately and made her touch his genitals. She said he made her eat a Popsicle and then he put the Popsicle on his penis.

The girl also told her grandmother that Cotton penetrated her with a green, frozen ice pop. After hearing this allegation, one of Cotton’s roommates found a green frozen ice pop stick in the trash can next to Cotton’s bed, the arrest affidavit alleges.