TEXARKANA, Texas - A Hooks, Texas, man accused of secretly filming a teen girl while she showered has been charged in Bowie County with aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Cody Austin Wright, 34, is being held in the Bowie County jail on the charge with bail set at $250,000.
The alleged victim, now 14, is a relative of Wright's and claimed he began sexually abusing her when she was about 9, according to a probable cause affidavit. The girl allegedly made an outcry of abuse to her mother June 1.
The girl provided an account to a forensic interviewer. She said she believes Wright put something in her ice cream or in a drink on different occasions to make her sleep and described waking up at Wright's home with the belief that he sexually assaulted her.
The girl allegedly said Wright used complaints of back pain to sleep in a bed with her instead of in his own bed and that when she attempted to sleep on the couch she would wake to find Wright on the couch touching her inappropriately in April of this year.
The girl said that about a year ago Wright allegedly installed a window in his bathroom with two-way glass. The girl reported that a person in the bathroom could be seen by anyone in Wright's bedroom. She reported that a second window was installed more recently which could be viewed from a closet in Wright's bedroom.
The girl reported that while Wright was outdoors and she was alone in his house she moved a mattress which was blocking the closet door and "observed a black handheld video camera suctioned to the window as if recording the shower," the affidavit states.
Investigators determined that prior allegations of sexual misconduct with other children had been made against Wright but the cases had been dropped.
Investigators acquired a search warrant for Wright's home.
"A search of the residence was conducted per the search warrant and multiple items were discovered to produce child pornography," the affidavit states. "The cameras described by the victim of filming the shower occupants was located and collected as evidence."
Wright was arrested June 2. His case is assigned to 202nd District Judge John Tidwell.