In the first felony trial of 2026, a Walker County jury found 70-year old Delbert Dewayne Harris guilty of eleven felony offenses related to the sexual abuse of children. On February 3, 2026, Harris was convicted of three counts of Sexual Assault of a Child, seven counts of Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact, and one count of Indecency with a Child by Exposure. The jury then assessed the maximum punishment for each count, sentencing Harris to three life sentences, seven 20-year sentences, and one 10-year sentence. The Honorable Judge Tracy Sorensen of the 278th District Court presided over the trial and ordered that all sentences are to run consecutively.
The investigation began in 2020, when first responders received a 911 call reporting an allegation of sexual abuse of a child. Walker County Sheriff’s Detective Tom Bean was assigned to investigate the
report. Detective Bean partnered with Children’s Safe Harbor of Montgomery County, which conducted forensic interviews with multiple children who previously had contact with the defendant. After an extensive investigation, Detective Bean determined that three minor females had been sexually abused by Harris.
Following the verdict, Harris was taken to the Walker County Jail to await transfer to TDCJ.
