The Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office is announcing the outcome of a 2024–2025 child exploitation investigation that led to the arrest and conviction of Marthaniel Jermaine Dunning, 29, formerly of Kingwood, Texas. This case began in March 2024, when a Precinct 4 Detective received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that a user in East Montgomery County had uploaded child sexual abuse material to a social media platform. Precinct 4’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Detective launched an extensive investigation that ultimately
identified Dunning as the suspect. In August 2024, Detectives with the Precinct 4 Criminal Investigations Division, along with the Precinct 4 Special Response Team, the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, executed a search warrant at Dunning’s residence on Ford Road in Porter, Texas. Investigators seized multiple digital devices and observed digitally manipulated images of nude children at the scene. During the search, Detectives also discovered that children in the home were living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. As a result, Dunning was arrested on drug charges and two counts of Child Endangerment. A subsequent forensic review of the seized evidence revealed a homemade digital video depicting Dunning sexually assaulting a child. The live victim was identified, and on January 10, 2025, Detectives obtained arrest warrants for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and Possession of Child Pornography, both first-degree felonies. Dunning was located and arrested without incident and booked into the Montgomery County Jail. On November 11, 2025, Dunning pleaded guilty to charges arising from the investigation. As part of the plea agreement, Dunning accepted 50 years of imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on two charges, to be served concurrently. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for life and is subject to a lifetime protective order issued on behalf of the victim. The Precinct 4 Constable’s Office extends its appreciation to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, including the Internet Crimes Against Children Division Chief/Assistant District Attorney Chris Seufert and Assistant District Attorney Frances Manzo, for their dedication and hard work in ensuring justice for the victim. Constable Kenneth “Rowdy” Hayden stated, “Protecting children is one of the most important responsibilities we have in law enforcement. This case represents countless hours of difficult work that the public rarely sees, but it makes a lasting difference for victims. I am proud of our Detectives, our ICAC partners, and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office for bringing this offender to justice and standing with this child in the courtroom. Let me be clear: anyone who harms a child in East Montgomery County should expect that we will use every tool available to find you, arrest you, and do everything we can to protect our children and our community.”
