After a 25 minute deliberation, a Hunt County jury found Jeffery Barrett guilty of a human trafficking case in Greenville.
On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the jury found Barrett guilty of abusing his three adopted children.
“It is heartbreaking to know this horrid abuse was happening in our state, and it is unfathomable that a person could be so heartless to abuse the foster care system and use children in need of a loving, safe home as slave labor,” said Paxton in a prepared statement.
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According to investigators, Barrett subjected his adopted children to continuous abuse through isolation and coercion, making the children work at his puppy mill for years and not allowing them to attend school.
During the seizure, the puppies were taken under the care of the SPCA, and the children were removed from the home.
Barrett was sentenced to life in prison and a $10,000 fine, which is the maximum sentence for this offense.
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This verdict comes after Barret's wife, Barbara, was sentenced to 99 years for the continuous trafficking of children.
“There is no excuse for this evil behavior, and it will not be tolerated in our state,” Paxton said.
