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A former Texas school teacher has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after paying minors as young as 13 for sex in the South American country of Colombia, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Texas.
Former Austin Independent School District (AISD) teacher, Michael Wayne Roberts, 41, solicited sex from minors while living in Colombia between December 2020 and June 2021, a press release from the attorney’s office stated. Roberts paid for sex with three girls, aged between 13 and 15 years, “multiple times” before securing a job in the AISD in July 2021 which had cleared him in a background check process, KVUE reported. (RELATED: School District Claims Alleged Sexual Assault Of 6-Year-Old Was ‘Mutual’)
Former Austin ISD Teacher Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Illicit Sexual Conduct in Colombia @HSI_SanAntonio https://t.co/thf3XwJTVt
— U.S. Attorney WDTX (@USAO_WDTX) May 11, 2023
After the allegations against Roberts were revealed and the school district was notified of Roberts’ arrest by Homeland Security officials in September 2022, he was placed on administrative leave, according to the outlet. The school district stressed that during Roberts’ time as an instructor for AISD there were no allegations of sexual misconduct between him and any of the students, KVUE reported.
“Protecting the children in our communities remains a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,”Acting Special Agent in Charge Alejandro M. Amaro for HSI San Antonio stated in the press release. “This sentence is a testament that HSI remains committed to identifying individuals who prey on our most vulnerable population, especially those individuals that hold positions of public trust.” (RELATED: Elementary School Teacher Sentenced To Prison For Sexually Abusing 15-Year-Old Girl)
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas thanked the Colombian National Police and HSI for their combined effort at bringing Roberts to justice. “Their commitment to justice has made our communities safer and protected our most vulnerable population—our children,” he stated in the release.
“This sentencing reflects that those who engage in sexual conduct with minors, regardless of where it occurs, will be held accountable for their heinous, predatory crimes,” Esparza added.
In addition to the seven year prison sentence, Roberts will face 10 years of supervised release at the conclusion of his sentence, the press release stated.