Men Guilty in Child Sex Assault Cases

LONGVIEW — Two men charged with sexually assaulting children entered guilty pleas Thursday. Willie Markham III, 29, of Longview accepted a four-year prison sentence under a plea agreement. Markham admitted to having sex with a girl in August 2009 when she was 14, making it a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. If Markham is convicted of another sexual offense involving children, he could face an automatic life sentence, according to a stipulation in his plea agreement.

Also Phillip �Bubba� Hudson III, 20, of Longview entered a guilty plea to indecency with a child. A Gregg County grand jury in September indicted Hudson on second-degree indecency charges for touching a girl younger than 17 around Christmas 2009. Sentencing was set for July 5 to allow Hudson to find suitable employment and housing. Hudson is eligible for parole because this is his first felony conviction. Hudson is out of jail on $11,000 bond.