A La Feria man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexually abusing four girls over the span of a decade, Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz announced Wednesday.

According to a news release, Henry Moreno, 69, was found guilty of one count of sexual assault of a child and four counts - one for each of the victims - of indecency of a child by contact, by a Cameron County jury in the 445th District Court on Monday.

The victims, now teenagers, testified in detail during the trial about the abuse done by Moreno, the news release stated. Officials said they later learned of approximately 10 other victims, spanning two decades.

During Morenos's sentencing on Wednesday, Judge Gloria Rincones heard from eight witnesses who gave testimony about additional abuse that had occurred as far back as 1997. 

“The bravery of these victims coming forward was crucial to exposing a web of decades of abuse and lies that affected multiple families,” Saenz said in a news release. “We must educate children about what is inappropriate, regardless of who is the perpetrator and encourage them to speak up. We as adults must also protect them and act quickly if we are told of or suspect abuse happening.”