Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the jury has reached a verdict in a human trafficking case against Jeffrey Barret in Greenville, Texas. The Hunt County jury found Barret guilty of abusing his 3 adopted children after he subjected them to continuous abuse through isolation and coercion, making the children work at his puppy mill for years while they were not allowed to attend school. Jeffrey Barret was sentenced to life in prison and a $10,000 fine, which is the maximum sentence for this offense. The jury reached their verdict after 25 minutes of deliberations. 

The Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case, together with the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Hunt County District Attorney’s Office assisted in the prosecution. This verdict comes after Barret’s wife, Barbara, was sentenced to 99 years for the continuous trafficking of children.