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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

May 2, 2025

www.texasattorneygeneral.gov




*PRESS OFFICE: (512) 463-2050*

[email protected]





 

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*Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Life Sentences for Child Sex Offender*

 

GIDDINGS – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton successfully prosecuted a Lexington man for child sexual abuse crimes, securing two consecutive life sentences plus 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

 

Benjamin Earlie Thornton, 67, was found guilty of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and one count of Indecency with a Child by Contact by a Lee County jury. The jury returned the maximum sentence on all three counts after deliberating for approximately ten minutes.

 

“This monster committed heinous acts against a child and will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Prosecuting predators who abuse kids will always be a top priority,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “I’m proud of our team of prosecutors and investigators who worked to put this criminal away.”

 

According to court testimony, Thornton sexually abused a then 4-year-old family member in 2021. Over the course of the trial, the jury heard from multiple family members, a forensic interviewer, a sexual assault nurse examiner, and the Lee County case investigator, who provided key corroboration of the abuse suffered by the child. At the punishment stage of the trial, the State presented six additional witnesses, all women whom Thornton had previously groomed or engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct ranging from Aggravated Sexual Assault to sexual harassment and Indecent Assault.

 

This case was investigated by the Texas Attorney General’s Office and by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant Attorneys General Brenda Cantu and Wesley Mau prosecuted the case and Sgts. Brian Seales, Mark Wilson, and Victoria McMain investigated the case on behalf of the OAG. The OAG represented the State as District Attorney Pro Tem for Lee County in this prosecution.

   

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