Man accused of having sexual relationship with teen co-worker

SMITH COUNTY — A father reported an inappropriate relationship to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office after he discovered his teen daughter and her 46-year-old co-worker were dating in late July.  According to our news partner KETK, an arrest affidavit revealed that on July 20, a concerned father contacted the sheriff’s office about an improper relationship between his daughter and her co-worker, Cory Dashun Ransom.

“[The father] went through [his daughter’s] phone and found messages between her and Ransom indicating that they were in a dating relationship and that [his daughter] wanted a kiss from Ransom,” the document said.

The father also explained to officers that his daughter said Ransom touched her private parts. On July 24, the victim was interviewed by investigators about her relationship with Ransom, during which she explained that from December 2024 until July 20, she worked with him at a Tyler restaurant. She told officers she was first friends with Ransom, but over time their relationship became “romantic in nature.”

“[The victim] advised that while at the restaurant, she and Ransom would hug for long periods of time during which he would grab and squeeze her butt over her clothes,” the affidavit said.

She went on to explain this happened every time they worked together and that they would “intentionally go to areas where the cameras did not show.” She told officers that this happened most often near the bathroom and at the dumpsters when they would take out the trash together.

“[The teen] explained she and Ransom communicated exclusively on Snapchat,” the affidavit said. “Ransom on many occasions asked [the teen] to send him naked pictures of herself.”

She also told officers that on July 18, Ransom picked her up from her house while her dad was at work and they drove to a secluded area where Ransom “put up window shades in an attempt to get her to perform sexual acts with him, but she did not.”

The victim said that after she denied Ransom and they drove around for a little while before they went to the Taco Bell on Old Jacksonville Highway in Tyler. Officers obtained surveillance footage from the Taco Bell, where they confirmed the victim’s story and saw the two of them kissing.

The officers also obtained access to the victim and Ransom’s Snapchat, where they found multiple messages between them that were sexual, including what Ransom wanted to do with the victim when they met up on July 18.

Ransom was arrested on Monday for online solicitation of a minor and indecency with a child sexual contact, where he is being held at the Smith County Jail on a $500,000 bond.