According to court documents, the mother of the children, ages 9 and 12, initially noticed scratches and a bruise on the youngest boy's face in February. The boy told his mother that he was injured at school. When the woman contacted the school, officials claimed they had no knowledge of an incident, WOAI reported.

A Child Protective Services investigator later interviewed the boys, who denied any abuse, KSAT reported. The boys then privately told their mother that Ponce had been abusing them for several years, according to court records.