TEXARKANA, Texas–A man who was sentenced by a Bowie County jury last year to eight life sentences plus 352 years for the sexual and physical abuse of multiple young children was denied a new trial Tuesday by an appellate court in Texarkana.
Cody Blake Barnes, 32, sexually molested multiple children, some his biological and some who were his wife’s, Brittany Barnes, from a prior relationship, according to court records. To keep them quiet about his depraved conduct, Cody Barnes would physically abuse and threaten great bodily harm to the kids, who began to make outcries of sexual abuse after they were removed from the Barnes’ custody because of severe neglect.
Kelley Crisp, Bowie County First Assistant District Attorney, told TXK Today on Tuesday: “The sentence imposed on Cody Barnes for the incomprehensible abuse he inflicted upon his victims was one of the most severe punishment verdicts in county history.”
“We remain thankful for the courage and fortitude these child victims demonstrated in testifying against him, despite threats from Barnes to kill them or their loved ones,” Crisp said. “The Court of Appeals correctly upheld the outcome, furthering the cause of safety and law and order for our county citizens.”
Crisp added: “The road to healing for these children will be a long one but they can rest easier knowing that Barnes will never harm them again.”
Cody Barnes was convicted of 33 felony counts and ordered to pay $330,000 in fines by the jury last year. On appeal, Barnes argued that some of the charges were duplicative and amounted to double jeopardy. He also argued that there was an error with instructions given to the jury.
The appellate court said that Barnes failed to raise any objections to his indictments or to the jury charge at trial and could not bring them for the first time on appeal.
Brittany Barnes entered a guilty plea about a week after Cody Barnes’ trial in December and received a sentence of 40 years. Brittany Barnes was aware of the sexual abuse the children were suffering at the hands of her husband and told them to keep quiet about it, court records show.
The couple not only allowed the large group of children to live in squalor in a New Boston, Texas, trailer that was infested with bed bugs and lice, but had sex in front of them. School officials and others who came into contact with the youth living with the Barneses repeatedly reported the physical neglect to Child Protective Services, according to a notice filed by Crisp in Cody Barnes’ case, which mentions reports dating back to at least 2016.
The parental rights of the Barneses have been terminated through civil proceedings in Bowie County, court records show. Through various pseudonyms, eight children are listed in the court records as having suffered while in the couple’s custody.
While it is unlikely the state will ever collect the full amount on the fines Cody Barnes now owes, portions of any funds deposited into his prison commissary account may be deducted toward them, reducing the amount of money Barnes has to spend on himself.
Barnes is currently being held at the Michael Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Tennessee Colony, Texas.
District Judge John Tidwell presided over the trial.
