Texas Dad Sentenced to Prison for Beating 2-Year-Old Son He Thought Was Gay

A 23-year-old Texas father of five was sentenced to a six-year prison sentence for beating his two-year-old son for exhibiting what he perceived to be gay tendencies.

Francisco Ricardo Soell severely beat the child because he preferred playing with dolls and kitchen sets rather than more male-oriented toys (robots, cars, and soccer balls) he had bought him, according to a report on The Industry Buzz. Soell was charged with family violence and assault after he informed the child's mother what he had done, knowing she would be displeased. He had been repeatedly disciplining the child in an attempt to "toughen him up" due to concerns about the boy's perceived femininity, and admitted in the court proceeding to hitting his young son in the face multiple times, causing the child's nose to bleed.

"During the court session, Soell's defense attorney, Matthew, presented arguments on his behalf, noting that Soell had pleaded no contest and was applying for deferred adjudication – a form of probation that could potentially keep him out of prison. However, the state, represented by prosecutor Zack, pushed for a six-year prison sentence, emphasizing the severity of the crime and the impact on the child," reports The Industry Buzz.

Soell also addressed the court, noting that he had newborn child and saying he wanted to be there for his family. Expressing remorse, Soell said he was attending church in an attempt to change his ways, and pointed to his use of drugs as an explanation for the violence he had directed at his young son.

But Judge Stephanie Boyd of the 187th District Court in Bexar County was having none of it. "Basically, you beat up a two-year-old because you think your two-year-old is gay, and you wanna toughen up a two-year-old.

"He's two!" she told him.

Boyd sentenced Soell to the maximum sentence of six years imprisonment, as well as denying him any contact with his other children both during and after his sentence, and putting in place the process where the undocumented Soell would need to deal with Immigration Services upon release.

The judge pointed to Soell's previous incidents of domestic violence, saying he hadn't learned from his experiences, as the reason for the harshness of her sentencing.

Judge Boyd "emphasized that the child was only two years old and that it was unacceptable to project such expectations or to use violence as a means of enforcing them," the Industry Biz went on to report. "Judge Boyd also highlighted the absurdity of associating certain activities, like cooking, with homosexuality, citing examples of famous male chefs as counterarguments to Soell's reasoning."