Sutton County Sheriff's Granddaughter Indicted for Child Sex Crimes Released After 20 Minutes

The 21-year-old granddaughter of Sutton County Sheriff Joe Fincher spent 20 minutes behind bars on Feb. 20, after a Sutton County grand jury handed down six indictments charging the woman with sex crimes against at least one minor.

Three indictments for second-degree indecency with a child and three indictments for second-degree sexual assault of a child allege that Morgan Paige Vyvlecka engaged in sexual activity with a victim under the age of 17 on or about May 1, 2011 and on or about Oct. 1, 2013.

Vyvlecka, currently 21, was 18 years old at the time of the alleged offenses in 2011 and 20 years old at the time of the offenses alleged to have taken place in 2013. A “child” in Texas is someone under the age of 17.

The Texas Penal Code Section 21.11 states that in certain circumstances, a defense to prosecution exists if specific criteria are met. The statute stipulates that the age difference between Vyvlecka and the child not be more than three years, that the child be of the opposite sex, that Vyvlecka was not a sex offender at the time the crime was committed, and that the act was not perpetrated by use of force or threats.

A warrant for Vyvlecka’s arrest was issued on Feb. 13, one day after the grand jury handed down the indictments.

According to her offender booking sheet from the Sutton County Detention Center, Vyvlecka was arrested by Sutton County Deputy Oscar Chavez on Feb. 20 at 12:10 p.m. 

The booking sheet states that she was admitted into the jail nearly six hours later at 5:52 p.m., however the release information on page two of the booking sheet states she was released at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 20, or 20 minutes after her arrest and five and a half hours before she was booked.

The deputy who provided the report was out office on Monday and staff at the Sutton County Jail could not explain the discrepancy. A correctional officer did, however, confirm that Vyvlecka only spent 20 minutes in jail on Feb. 20.

A bond of $10k was placed on both cases of three counts apiece, and Vyvlecka was released on personal recognizance on both of those.

If convicted, Vyvlecka could be punished by two to 20 years for each offense and a fine not to exceed $10k.

Vyvlecka's mother was reached via telephone on Monday, but provided no comment on the charges. 

Neither prosecuting attorney was available Monday for comment.