A former Palmview High School special education teacher has been sentenced to federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Hamdani said 43-year-old Juan Carlos Munoz pleaded guilty March 29. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison, immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

During his supervised release, Munoz will have to comply with numerous requirements that will restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also have to register as a sex offender, according to Hamdani.

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During the hearing, the court heard how Munoz would solicit photo and videos from minors and also share and exchange them with another adult male.

The investigation began in November 2022.

Hamdani said law enforcement in South Carolina met with a family who discovered their 14-year-old girl was communicating with an individual who was soliciting nude photos and videos. The teen met the individual, who claimed to be a 19-year-old boy, on a social media/video chat site.

Law enforcement uncovered numerous conversations and were able to trace the perpetrator's phone to the Rio Grande Valley and were able to identify that person as Munoz, according to Hamdani.

Hamdani said Texas authorities were able to locate Munoz at Palmview High School in December 2022. He confessed to communicating with approximately 50 minor children and requesting sexually explicit photos and videos.

Munoz will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.