Man charged with bigamy after wife learned of other marriage through Facebook

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A Texas man was charged with bigamy after his wife uncovered his marriage to another woman on social media.

Marcus Andra Shorten, 53, of Houston has not been arrested, ABC affiliate KTRK reported.

Houston police did find two marriage licences but not a divorce decree, according to court records.

Shorten has been married to third wife Tammie since 2012, but the couple separated in 2019 because he didn’t want his family to think he was a “failure.”

“You can’t go around lying and misleading individuals at your self-satisfaction,” Tammie, who requested only her first name be used, told the outlet.

In December, Tammie was on Facebook when she learned of a new wedding registry between Shorten and another woman.

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While she was blindsided by the news, Tammie told him, “Before you let the whole world know what you’re doing, make sure your business is right.”

Shorten and his latest wife wed in January, the outlet said, citing their marriage licence. However, the accused denied to KTRK that he was married to anyone and he was unaware of the bigamy charge.

Tammie, on the other hand, has her doubts.

“It’s not like you don’t know what a divorce is because you’ve been married several times before,” she said.

“I was made a fool of.”

The charge of bigamy is rare, the outlet reported.

It’s a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Shorten could also face a fine of up to $10,000, according to state law.