Former East Texas teacher sentenced to 5 years in prison for receiving child pornography

BEAUMONT, Texas — A former Jefferson County (Texas) school teacher was sentenced Tuesday to five years in federal prison for receiving child pornography.

This sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston, Eastern District of Texas. This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Beaumont Police Department.

Gary Alan George, 56, pleaded guilty April 5 to receiving child pornography and was sentenced Oct. 25 to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield. George was indicted by a federal grand jury May 6, 2015.

According to court information, during an undercover operation led by HSI, George, a former middle school teacher from 1999 to 2014 with the Beaumont Independent School District, distributed images containing child pornography to an investigator. A search warrant executed at George’s residence resulted in seizing his electronic devices. A forensic analysis of his electronic devices revealed thousands of images containing child erotica and child pornography.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods., Eastern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.