Angry that his estranged wife no longer wanted to be with him and was insisting on a divorce, Roberto Beltran went to his spouse’s house and sexually assaulted her — a crime that was captured on an audio recorder.

On Friday jurors in state district Judge Everett Young’s court sentenced Roberto Beltran, 53, to eight years in prison for sexual assault and assessed a $10,000 fine.

During the trial prosecu- tors Dawn Ferguson and Lisa Callaghan presented evidence that Beltran and his wife separated in July 2008, were living in separate houses and had started divorce proceedings.

Along the way, however, Beltran changed his mind and refused to sign the divorce papers. Hoping to convince the divorce court to grant the divorce without Beltran’s signature, the estranged wife decided to start recording their conversations.

On October 19, 2008, Beltran showed up at his estranged wife’s house uninvited and she asked him to remain on the porch. The woman then went inside to the bathroom and put the audio recorder in her pocket.

While she was in the bathroom, Beltran entered her home and an argument ensued. The estranged couple argued about their failed marriage, his relationship with one of his two ex-wives, and his refusal to give her a divorce. Beltran repeatedly told the woman that as long as they were married, she belonged to him.

When the woman rebuffed his sexual advances, Beltran picked her up, carried her to the bedroom, yanked off her clothes and forcibly raped her . The entire crime was captured on the audio recorder, which the woman threw under the couch when Beltran began to get physical.

In the recording, which was played for the jury, the woman can be heard screaming “no, no, no,” crying hysterically and begging Beltran to stop.

Beltran was probation eligible. He will have to serve four years before he is eligible for parole. He will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Melody McDonald

Public Information Officer

Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office

401 West Belknap

Fort Worth, TX 76196

817-884-3120 (direct)

817-821-3935 (cell)

mjmcdonald@tarrantcounty.com

 Twitter: @TarrantDAOffice