Victor Leon was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and sentenced to 80 years in 2002. He was finally arrested Tuesday.

WACO, Texas — A Bell County fugitive who had been on the run since 2002 was finally arrested in Navasota Tuesday.

Victor Leon was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child in 2002. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Leon had been sexually assaulting the child on a regular basis for years before the conviction.

Leon was out on bond during his court case and did not show up for his sentencing which led to an arrest warrant for failure to appear.

A judge sentenced Leon to 80 years in prison during the hearing despite his absence.

Seventeen years later, a Bell County investigator learned Leon was possibly living in a Navasota motel. The U.S. Marshals Service said investigators saw a man who matched Leon's appearance while running surveillance at the motel.

Investigators were able to make contact with the man, confirm his identity and arrest him without incident Tuesday.

A woman, Tessie McCord, was also arrested at the motel and charged with harboring a fugitive.

Leon and McCord were taken to the Grimes County Jail, where Leon is awaiting extradition to Bell County where he will be formally sentenced for the assault conviction.

The Navasota Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office assisted the U.S Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offender and Fugitive Task Force in the arrests.