A former Katy ISD paraprofessional has been charged with online solicitation of a minor after investigators accused him of messaging and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old student, one of a string of Houston-area educator misconduct cases that prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to propose a 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for convicted offenders.

Samuel Perez's charge surfaced as Abbott announced his sentencing proposal on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at a roundtable in Lubbock with survivors, law enforcement officials and education leaders, according to KPRC 2. The charge date and current case status were not available in public reporting. Katy ISD has not issued a public statement on the case.

"In the past, some teachers have had sex with students and got only probation," Abbott said at the Lubbock event. "Not anymore in Texas."

What the proposal would change

Under current Texas law, an improper relationship between an educator and a student is a second-degree felony carrying two to 20 years in prison. Defendants can receive probation or deferred adjudication instead of incarceration.

Abbott's proposal would require a minimum 10-year prison term, prohibit probation and deferred adjudication, bar parole before 10 years are served and require sex-offender registration. Prosecutors could still negotiate plea agreements, but any conviction under the proposed law would carry at least a decade behind bars.

Two completed Houston-area cases illustrate the gap Abbott wants to close: former Brazoswood High School teacher Brandyn Hargrove received 10 years of probation and no prison time after pleading guilty to 12 felony counts of sexual assault and indecency involving a student, and former Houston ISD teacher Dale Vanwright received 10 years of deferred-adjudication probation after pleading guilty to indecency with a child.

The proposal is not yet a bill. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who joined Abbott at the announcement, pledged the House would work with the governor during the next legislative session, which begins in January 2027, according to Texas Scorecard.

Scale of the problem

Abbott said more than 1,600 allegations of inappropriate educator-student relationships were reported last year, nearly triple the prior year's total. TEA data shows the agency opened nearly 1,800 investigations during the current fiscal year. Investigations do not necessarily result in charges or findings of misconduct.

Earlier in 2026, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath appointed Levi Fuller as the state's first Inspector General for Educator Misconduct. The TEA also launched a new interactive portal in August that lets parents check employee credentials, active investigations and the statewide Do Not Hire registry.

Advocates say prevention still lags

Terri Miller, president of the National Center to Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation, supports tougher penalties but said a sentence can only be imposed after a student has already been harmed. She called Abbott's proposal "a reactionary type of proposal" and urged Texas to require schools to ask job applicants about prior misconduct allegations and to mandate that former employers disclose relevant information, stopping what advocates call "passing the trash" between districts.

Abbott acknowledged that punishment is only part of the solution, saying Texas must develop safer ways for students to report warning signs, better train educators to recognize concerning behavior and ensure the TEA responds promptly to reports from districts.

What Katy ISD families should know

Katy ISD serves more than 95,000 students across 79 campuses. Superintendent Ken Gregorski welcomed nearly 14,000 teachers and staff back for the 2026-2027 school year, with classes beginning Thursday, Aug. 13.

The Katy ISD Board of Trustees has a work study meeting scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17, focused on board operating procedures. Families wanting to raise concerns about educator misconduct should confirm whether public comment is permitted at that meeting type. Parents can also check employee credentials and the Do Not Hire registry through the TEA's new online portal.