DEL RIO, Texas – A former high school teacher and coach has confessed to a sickening crime. Kenneth Wayne Mulkey, 43, of Sabinal, Texas, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. The case lays bare the dangers lurking online and the predators who exploit vulnerable children.
Court documents detail a disturbing exchange that began on October 11, 2024. Mulkey, using the social media platform Snapchat, initiated contact with a user, requesting their age, sex, and location. When the user revealed they were a 14-year-old boy residing in Orlando, Florida, Mulkey misrepresented his age, claiming to be 40, and identified himself as a football and track coach. The conversation quickly turned predatory, with Mulkey explicitly requesting a sexually explicit photograph from the minor.
The depravity didn’t stop there. Geolocation data extracted from Mulkey’s cell phone placed him a mere 40 meters from Sabinal High School when he sent the initial, disturbing messages. The following day, he escalated his behavior, sending a sexually graphic image of himself to the boy. He continued to engage in sexually suggestive questioning and volunteered explicit information, grooming the minor for further exploitation.
Federal authorities swiftly acted on the information. Mulkey was arrested on January 31, bringing an end to his online predation. The investigation was spearheaded by Homeland Security Investigations, with crucial assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando and the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office. This collaborative effort highlights the importance of interagency cooperation in combating online child exploitation.
Now, Mulkey faces a substantial prison sentence. He is eligible for a term of 10 years to life in federal prison. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced the guilty plea, vowing to protect children from these predators.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those who prey on children online, and to rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nallely Duarte and Ekua Assabill are prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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