Mark Henry Benavides, 48, broke down in tears on Friday as he heard the sentence and mouthed 'I love you' to his wife, who is still staying with him

A former San Antonio attorney has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for forcing his clients to have sex with him in return for legal services.

Mark Henry Benavides, 48, broke down in tears on Friday as he heard the sentence and mouthed 'I love you' to his wife, who is still staying with him.

Benavides filmed videos of the violent sexual encounters, one of which was so graphic that a female juror fainted after viewing it in court.

The father-of-two was convicted on all six counts he faced of continuous trafficking of persons and the panel took six hours to decide his sentences.

He will serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole.

Benavides forced six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases to have sex with him in return for legal help.

Detectives recovered 246 mini DVDs containing hundreds of videos in which he was seen directing the women during often violent sex.

On Tuesday, prosecutors in a Texas court played footage of Benavides forcing one such client to have anal sex with him, KSAT reported.

'Mark, it hurts!' the woman, 29, cried on the video. 'You're hurting me… Don't be so rough.'

Benavides' wife of 11 years, Linda, (right) appeared at the trial's sentencing phase to urge the jury to 'please be fair' as she announced she was staying with him

Benavides repeatedly ordered the woman to 'come back here' in the footage, while the woman pressed her hands against her face and sobbed.

The jurors were so shocked by the clip that the judge sent them out for a break. As they were walking out, one woman fainted at the door. She was later excused and replaced with an alternate.

The woman in the video later explained to the court that she felt she had to sleep with her lawyer because 'he said he would help me get my son back.'

She said they'd first had sex in July 2014 - on the same day that he was appointed by the court to work as her attorney.

She said they would go to a motel in San Antonio, where he told her what to do sexually while recording the encounter. When she asked why he was filming, he said it was just for him, she told the court.

'Sometimes he would ask me my name, how old I was, and ask, 'What are you going to do?' she testified.

Benavides (seen in an undated photo) forced six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases to have sex with him in return for legal help

She was encouraged to answer: 'I'm going to [expletive] my lawyer.' She said Benavides told her to say 'bye' to the camera after they finished.

Benavides' wife of 11 years, Linda, appeared at the trial's sentencing phase to urge the jury to 'please be fair' as she announced she was staying with him, reported Express News.

'He cheated. He did. But he's a good person. Please be fair. His kids love him so much,' she told the jury while crying.

When questioned by prosecutor Jay Norton about whether she thought her husband had committed a crime she replied: 'I am not aware of what has happened, except what I heard on the news.'

Norton said: 'They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion.'

'To me, it's cheating,' Benavides replied.

'It's an understatement to call it cheating if it's a criminal act,' Norton said. 'The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.'

Meredith Chacon, also prosecuting, branded Benavides 'a pimp in a suit' during her closing arguments.

The 48-year-old, who has since been disbarred, was first arrested in November 2015 accused of using force or coercing at least nine female clients into prostitution.

At the time he had been running as a candidate as a state district judge.

Benavides (left, in the court on Friday) repeatedly ordered the woman to 'come back here' in the footage, while the woman pressed her hands against her face and sobbed

Several of clients claimed that Benavides promised them he'd help them, and even get the cases thrown out altogether if they slept with him, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Benavides was indicted earlier this month for continuous trafficking of women between 2012 and 2015.

Benavides still faces two charges of sexual assault of a child, a charge of sexual assault and another charge of continuous trafficking of persons.

Each case will be tried separately.