Cody Blake Barnes (Bowie County Jail).
A Texas man convicted on multiple counts of sexual and physical abuse against his own children received eight life sentences plus 352 years.
On December 6, Cody Blake Barnes, 32, was convicted by a jury of 33 crimes, including continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, several counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and numerous counts of indecency with a child. His wife, 32-year-old Brittany Michelle Barnes, faces trial as well. The victims of Barnes’ abuse included his biological offspring and the children from his wife’s previous relationship.
The trial, which spanned a week, uncovered the appalling conditions in which the Barnes’ eight children lived. These children, aged from just born to eight years, resided in a trailer plagued by bedbugs and lice, as detailed by TXK Today, a Texarkana news outlet. School officials and others who interacted with the children reported their dire situation to Child Protective Services on several occasions since 2016.
It was also revealed in court documents that the Barnes had been stripped of their parental rights. After being taken from their parents, the children disclosed they had been sexually abused by them. Cody Barnes reportedly intimidated the children into silence with threats to their lives, while Brittany Barnes allegedly was aware of the abuse and coerced the children into not speaking out.
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In addition to his hefty prison sentence, Cody Barnes was fined $330,000. He remains in Bowie County Jail until he is transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Brittany Barnes is expected to go on trial Dec. 17. She is charged with several counts of injury to a child and endangering a child.
