Woman deemed Texas' first female sexually violent predator to receive involuntary treatment

COMAL COUNTY, Texas - A woman who preyed on two Comal County teens could spend the rest of her life receiving involuntary treatment. 

This comes after Desiree Hamm was deemed Texas’ first female sexually violent predator.

RELATED: Comal County jury convicts first female sexually violent predator in Texas history

Desiree Hamm conviction

The backstory:

"I knew the first time that we went forward on a female case for this type of proceeding, it needed to be a very serious, very strong case and Desiree Ham delivered that to us," Special Prosecution Unit Sexually Violent Predator Division Chief Erin Faseler said.

In 2009, Hamm was investigated for online relationships she developed with two teens from Comal County. 

The Comal County District Attorney said she brainwashed them, arranged their kidnapping from Texas to California, and while they were with her, she physically and psychologically abused them and even branded them to match her tattoo.

Desiree Ham

"The mind games, the manipulation, the grooming behaviors, everything that showed not only the horrible things and horrific things that the two victims endured, the innocence that was stolen from them, the normal teen childhood life that they should have experienced," Comal County District Attorney Jennifer Tharp said.

Eventually, the teens were rescued, and Hamm was arrested.

"A Comal County grand jury indicted Desiree Hamm on August 4th, 2010, for 13 counts of criminal conduct to include four counts of sexual performance of a child, two counts of aggravated kidnaping with the intent to violate or abuse sexually and then seven counts of sexual assault of a child. And about a year later, Desiree Hamm pled guilty to every single one of those offenses," Tharp said.

Hamm was sentenced to 20 years in prison and another 10 years on probation.

Desiree Ham was up for parole

The backstory:

After spending about 15 years in prison, Hamm was up for parole. Her case was referred to the Comal County DA’s Office and the Texas Special Prosecution Unit.

"It's the first female case that before we did anything on it and I just read the file, I knew right away that she would be the first female sexually violent predator," Faseler said.

Faseler tried the case.

"She is extremely manipulative, extremely cunning. She has a way to get people to do things for her that I think they would not otherwise do," Faseler said. "Even incarceration, which is the most secure location that you can be to deter behavior like this, she is continuing to do it. I think that just speaks volumes of how dangerous she is."

The jury agreed.

"She is the first female in Texas to get this classification to be designated as a sexually violent predator," Faseler said.

What's next:

Hamm will be transferred to the Texas Civil Commitment Center in Littlefield, Texas.

"She will receive mandatory treatment, and she will have to essentially prove through her time there that she has been able to reduce her risk," Faseler said.

Currently, about 500 people are civilly committed.

"These are the worst of the worst," Special Prosecution Unit Executive Director Jack Choate said.

In 25 years, only 24 people have sufficiently completed the program.

"This really is about rehabilitation and the balls in her court to show that she can change and if that happens, we'll see, and if it doesn’t happen, then she will stay there," Faseler said.

Hamm will be evaluated every two years.