A Texas high school teacher was arrested on child pornography charges on Monday after law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on his residence and discovered thousands of child pornography images.
In a press release on Facebook, Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable said a search warrant was executed Monday by his division and the Texas Department of Public Safety at the residence of 53-year-old James Paul Stone in Katy, Texas. Gable explained that the search warrant was prompted by an undercover investigation regarding the “possession or promotion of child pornography on the dark web.”
“Thousands of images of child pornography were recovered from the residence. Including several images that Stone admitted to producing himself,” Gable stated. “These images do include images he admitted to taking while on school grounds, at beaches, and local swimming pools around the Katy area.”
Gable explained that Stone was immediately arrested during the execution of the search warrant and that the teacher was taken to the Fort Bend County Jail. According to the press release, Stone currently faces 10 counts of possession of child pornography.
A picture of Stone was shared Monday on X, formerly Twitter, by ABC13 Houston.
In Monday’s press release, Gable noted that the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Criminal Investigations Division believes there are “several victims associated with this case.” Gable encouraged anyone with information regarding the case or potential victims to come forward as the investigation continues.
READ MORE: Pics: Pregnant teacher dies suddenly after collapsing in classroom
According to The Daily Mail, Stone’s wife, Melinda, is the current principal of Taylor High School. After law enforcement authorities announced that her husband had been arrested on child pornography charges, Stone notified the school’s staff and parents that she was not aware of or involved in her husband’s “criminal activity.”
“His arrest and involvement in this criminal activity was unbeknownst to me or those closest to him,” she wrote. “My family and I are deeply disappointed in his actions and thus we do not have any plans to be involved in James’ criminal proceedings as he navigates the next steps.”
In a letter to the school’s parents, Stone emphasized that “providing a safe and secure learning environment is and will continue to be the District’s and my top priority.” The principal added that she would continue to provide updates when additional information was available.
