A Texas man is sentenced to 40 years in prison for raping and setting a boy on fire 13 years ago.

Texas jurors convicted Don Collins, now 29 years old, of capital murder for pouring gasoline and burning then 8-year-old Robbie Middleton in 1998.

Collins was only 13 years old when the crime took place near Splendora, northeast of Houston. It was during Middleton's eight birthday when Collins set him on fire in a woodland behind his home. Police said the crime was Collin's attempt to cover up an earlier sexual assault against the child.

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Middleton succumbed to skin cancer as a result of his burns, which affected 99 percent of his body.  He lived through years of physical therapy until he died in 2011.

It took a jury of seven women and five men all Monday afternoon to reach a guilty verdict.

During the prosecutors' closing arguments, Montgomery County Chief Prosecutor Rob Freyer called Collins "a child rapist, a murderer, and a monster."

"Today, after so many days, after so many tears, after so much pain and frustration with the system, today that little boy gets to hit back," Freyer said.

During last week's trial, the jury witnessed a heartrending 30-minute video of Middleton on his deathbed.  He named Collins as the one who raped and burned him.

Colleen Middleton, the victim's mother expressed hopes Collins will get the maximum sentence. 

"It's been so long and we've waited and waited and now that it's here, it's like, maybe it'll sink in later," Middleton said upon hearing the verdict.

Collins will not face death penalty because he was only 13 years old when he committed the crime. He had earlier pleaded not guilty to the crime.

His lawyers argued there was not enough evidence to convict Collins, and went as far as accusing the Middleton family of making up the rape theory. 

Collins was also convicted of raping another 8-year-old boy at gunpoint in 2001. He was 16 years old then and spent four years in juvenile detention for the crime.

Tagsdon collins, robbie middleton, Rape, child arson, arson