McALLEN — A man who worked at a Roma school as a maintenance worker has been sentenced to a seven-year prison term.
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced Tuesday morning Jesus Amado Garcia of Roma to the 84-month prison sentence in connection with an investigation which led to the discovery of pornography depicting minor children, records show.
In January of this year, federal law enforcement began an investigation into the distribution and sharing of child pornography which eventually led them to a residence in Roma — later identified as Garcia’s home.
At the time of the investigation, Garcia was employed with Roma Independent School District as a maintenance worker, the release from the Southern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s office states.
“On April 23, authorities executed a search warrant at Garcia’s home, at which time they seized multiple digital devices. The investigation resulted in the discovery of approximately 236 images and 27 videos of child pornography,” the release states.
In October, Garcia pleaded guilty to the porn possession charge, avoiding a jury trial, records show.
In addition to the lengthy sentence, Garcia will also be required to serve five years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time Garcia will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet.
The 43-year-old man will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
Garcia was employed with Roma ISD for roughly two years, and was suspended and subsequently terminated when officials there were made aware of the investigation, a Roma ISD official said.
