Jury Begins Deliberating Rapper's Fate

Prosecutors Ask For Maximum Sentence

HOUSTON -- A jury began deliberating the fate of Houston rapper Carlos Coy Tuesday afternoon.

The same jury that convicted Coy, who is known as "South Park Mexican," on May 18 of sexually assaulting the girl at his southeast Houston home back in September, began deciding his punishment at about 11:30 a.m.



Coy faces a sentence of from five years probation to life in prison.

Prosecutors are hoping to send Coy to prison for life and brought in eight women who testified that they had sex with him when they were 12, 13 and 14 years old.

"He's a child molester who uses his rap music to attract young girls," prosecuting attorney Lisa Andrews said. "He's a threat to children, and that's what this higher range of punishment is designed for -- to protect younger children from men like Carlos Coy."

Defense attorney Chip Lewis said that his client is innocent, and that there was never any proof that Coy committed any of these crimes, just hearsay.

"No punishment is appropriate for him," Lewis said. "He didn't commit this crime. But if the jury is called, they're going to have to let down a sentence and a verdict of some type. The least severe of that sentence would be probation, and that's the last thing that I have asked them to do at this stage."

Despite objections by his attorney, Coy took the stand in his own defense Tuesday and testified that he never sexually assaulted the girl.

Coy said that the eight women who testified last week lied to the jury when they all claimed that they had sex with him.