Two men from Harris County are facing serious charges of indecency with a child after their probation periods were terminated unsatisfactorily on two separate occasions. Prosecutors had urged the judges to revoke their probation and impose prison sentences, but their requests were not granted.
Leonard Houston, 39, and Cleveland Robinson, 49, have both been charged with indecency with a child by exposure. Despite multiple violations of their probation terms, both men received the unsatisfactory terminations, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the probation system.
Andy Kahan from Crime Stoppers expressed his disappointment, stating that these decisions send a troubling message: defendants can violate probation rules without facing the consequences of prison. He noted that the system appears to reward noncompliance instead of holding individuals accountable for their actions.
In the latest instances of unsatisfactory terminations, the Harris County District Attorney’s office requested judges to revoke the probation of both Houston and Robinson. Judge Nata Cornelio of the 351st District Court was responsible for ending Houston’s probation, while a visiting judge oversaw Robinson’s case.
Kahan emphasized the negative implications of these judicial decisions, suggesting that if the judges had revoked probation rather than allowing unsatisfactory terminations, the recent charges against the two men may have been avoided. He stated, “The message you are sending to your clients, even if you don’t do what you’re supposed to be doing, you can still get your probation discharged the same as someone who complied with everything.”
