Former Texas Deputy Sentenced to 20 Years for Traffic Stop Sexual Assault Former Webb County deputy Ignacio Rodriguez IV has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for the sexual assault of a woman during a traffic stop and the deprivation of her legal rights. In a significant ruling aimed at addressing the abuse of power by law enforcement, a federal judge in Texas has sentenced a former law enforcement officer to a substantial prison term. Ignacio Rodriguez IV, who previously served as a sheriff's deputy in Webb County, specifically within the Laredo area, was ordered to serve 20 years in prison. The sentencing took place before U.S. District Judge Marina Marmolejo in the Southern District of Texas. The primary charge for which Rodriguez was convicted was the deprivation of a citizen's legal rights, a federal offense that highlights the severe breach of trust and authority inherent in the crime.This legal proceeding follows a plea agreement reached on April 23, where the defendant admitted his guilt in exchange for the dismissal of additional charges. The harrowing details of the case emerged from court documents that describe an event occurring on September 1, 2024. According to the evidence, Rodriguez conducted a traffic stop after observing a vehicle traveling on the wrong side of the road.Upon stopping the car, he encountered two women who admitted they had been consuming alcohol after attending a pool party. Instead of following standard law enforcement procedures for an impaired driving situation, Rodriguez began to manipulate one of the women. He explicitly told her that she would need to convince him to let them go, otherwise, both women would be taken into custody and jailed.Despite the woman's repeated assertions that she was in a committed relationship and had no interest in men, the deputy continued to pressure her. The situation escalated when Rodriguez deliberately disabled his body-worn camera to hide his actions from official record. He then coerced one of the women into his patrol vehicle. Inside the confined space of the car, the deputy used his position of authority and the presence of his service weapon to intimidate the victim.He repeatedly gestured toward the handgun on his belt, creating an environment of extreme fear and coercion. Once inside the vehicle, Rodriguez committed a brutal sexual assault, forcing the woman to perform oral sex. The assault was conducted with such aggression and roughness that it caused the victim to physically vomit.Following the assault, the deputy released the woman but engaged in a disturbing act of further manipulation by using her own cell phone to call his own number, thereby obtaining her personal contact information without her consent. After returning home, the victim sought support from her family, who immediately contacted local law enforcement authorities. The victim was taken to a medical facility where healthcare professionals conducted a comprehensive post-sexual assault evaluation.The medical findings provided critical physical evidence that corroborated the victim's account of the assault. Simultaneously, a thorough investigation was launched involving local police and Texas State Troopers. Investigators were able to recover multiple video recordings from the surrounding area that further validated the victim's claims and established the timeline of the traffic stop and the subsequent events.The 20-year sentence handed down by Judge Marmolejo serves as a stern reminder that those entrusted with the badge are not above the law. The case underscores the critical importance of oversight and the courage of victims who come forward to report abuses of power. By focusing the charge on the deprivation of constitutional rights, the federal government emphasized that the crime was not only a personal assault but an attack on the legal protections guaranteed to every citizen.The resolution of this case marks a conclusion to a traumatic chapter for the survivor and sends a clear signal to law enforcement agencies across Texas and the United States that predatory behavior under the guise of authority will be met with severe federal penalties.