Four Southeast Texas men were recently arrested and charged with child sex crimes.
March 17, Cody Clinton Dennis, 40, of Silsbee, was arrested in Hardin County and extradited to Marion County, where he was booked into jail, KTLO.com reported.
According to court documents, the victim, now 26, said the incident occurred in 2013 when she was 13 and Dennis was 28.
KTLO reported that Texas records show Dennis testified under oath in November 2025 during a divorce hearing that he had a sexual relationship with the victim.
He is a registered sex offender and did not notify the Marion County Sheriff’s Office of his move to Texas.
Dennis is charged with two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault, two counts of sexual indecency with a minor and one count of failure to comply with registration and reporting requirements, all felonies. He also faces a penalty enhancement for being a habitual offender. He was released after posting a $100,000 bond.
KTLO reported Dennis has two previous arrests in Arkansas for failing to comply with sex offender reporting requirements. He received three years of probation for incidents that occurred in 2010.
March 11, Lawrence Anthony Gordey, 58, of Kountze, was arrested by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office for indecency with a child involving sexual contact stemming from an incident on Nov. 7, 2019. No bond has been set.
In July 2019, Gordey was indicted on two counts of indecency with a child involving sexual contact related to incidents in May 2018. His bond was set at $150,000.
Dec. 19, 2022, Gordey was arrested again on the same charge, with bond set at $30,000. Feb. 4, he was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, 28-200 grams.
In Orange County, two men were arrested on child sex crime charges, including one for child grooming, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
March 10, Seaver Alexander Solley, 41, of Vidor, was arrested on two counts of child grooming. Bond was set at $500,000.
Under Texas law, child grooming is a felony offense addressing actions taken before a sexual offense occurs and is intended to protect children from exploitation. Penalties range from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony for repeat offenders.
March 4, Lawrence Claude Barrios, 82, was arrested for continuous sexual abuse of a child younger than 14. No bond has been set. District Attorney Krispen Walker Winfree reported a grand jury indicted Barrios in early 2024, alleging abuse from 2015 to 2020.