Jerry Svatek Jr., former president of the Boling Independent School District (ISD) board of trustees in Wharton County, Texas, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison on June 26, 2026. Svatek pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material that included images of his 3-year-old granddaughter.
According to court documents, authorities identified Svatek during undercover investigations into an online forum known as FetLife, where he shared multiple images taken from videos of himself with the girl. He also discussed his desire to have sex with prepubescent minors and admitted to multiple sexual contacts with the child.
Svatek was arrested in June 2025 and charged with possession of child pornography featuring a victim younger than 10 years old. Following his arrest, he resigned from the board and is currently being held at a federal detention center in Houston pending transfer to a permanent prison facility.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas stated that Svatek will spend the rest of his life on supervised release after completing his prison term, with restricted access to children and the internet, and be ordered to register as a sex offender.
**Background**
This incident is part of a larger trend in Texas, where hundreds of school employees and officials have been accused of sex crimes involving children over the past few years. Svatek's case highlights concerns about child safety and online exploitation within educational institutions.