ATHENS–Former Eustace police officer Cody Mitchell Burris was sentenced July 31 to the maximum sentence of 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and a $10,000 fine for Possession with Intent to Promote Child Pornography, according to Henderson County District Attorney Jenny Palmer. Burris’ sentence was pronounced by 392nd District Court Judge R. Scott McKee.  
Twenty years is the maximum sentence for this crime, a second-degree felony, said the DA.
District Attorney Jenny Palmer argued for the sentence in her closing argument, saying, “The defendant took an oath to protect and serve our community. It’s time now that we protect our community from him. and sentence him to the full 20 years.”  
Burris will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, according to the district attorney. 
Burris opted to plead guilty to the court and asked the court for a hearing to determine his punishment. During the hearing, the court heard testimony from Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Children Task Force Investigator Timothy Tanner, according to Palmer.  
“I want to thank Sheriff Hillhouse, Investigator Tanner and the task force for the hard work that they do,” Palmer said. “I know how difficult and taxing it is to investigate and prosecute these crimes.”
According to The Monitor’s coverage in January, the task force received information in reference to child pornography being shared on the internet. The task force began an investigation and was able to identify Burris, who was a Eustace police officer at the time, to be the suspect of the investigation, according to a Dec. 31, 2024, press release from Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse.
The task force learned through the investigation that Burris had gained some images while on duty through an online application. 
The investigation was led by the Crimes Against Children Task Force and assisted by the City of Eustace, the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Rangers, according to that press release.
Eustace Mayor Dustin Shelton stated that Burris resigned immediately following his arrest.