Texas broker charged with child sexual assault

A broker in Texas last week was charged with aggravated sexual assault and indecency with a child, according to court records.

The broker, Gregory Frank Estes, 56, had been charged in 2013 with continuous sexual abuse of a child and that was dismissed, according to the records of Taylor Country, which is about 100 miles west of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.

Estes, who could not be reached Friday to comment, now faces four charges in total.

The broker faces two charges of aggravated sexual assault, which are first-degree felonies that carry a sentence of 5 to 99 years if convicted, according to a spokesperson with Taylor County sheriff's office. The two charges of indecency with a child by contact, second degree felonies, have potential prison sentences of 2 to 20 years.

Estes, who resides in nearby San Angelo, Texas, was also charged on Wednesday with a misdemeanor assault charge, which carries a potential prison sentence of 1 year.

According to a local news report, which cited the indictment, Estes sexually assaulted a girl under the age of 14. The indictment also states he inappropriately touched a girl under the age of 17, and forced her to touch him, according to the news report.

The alleged incidents happened in 2001, 2004 and 2009. He was released from the Tom Green County Jail on a $415,000 bond, according to the report.

A 25-year veteran of the securities industry, Estes has been a registered rep with SA Stone Wealth Management Inc. since 2012, according to his BrokerCheck profile. SA Stone is the newest title for the old Sterne Agee independent contractor broker-dealer.

Stifel Financial bought Sterne Agee in 2015 and then later sold the independent broker-dealer and clearing business to INTL FCStone.

[Podcast: Her Success Matters featuring Blue Zone Wealth Advisors’ CEO Judith Lu]