Robert Gasper Peri, Child Pornography, Texas 2020

A 56-year-old former music teacher has been ordered to federal prison after admitting he received and possessed child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Robert Gasper Peri pleaded guilty Dec. 9, 2020. In a shocking turn of events, the court today handed down a stiff sentence for Peri, who will spend 135 months in federal prison.

Peri, a convicted child pornographer, had access to children for more than 30 years as a music teacher, which is a devastating reality for the young victims involved. The investigation revealed that he had been communicating and trafficking child pornography with other individuals, further exacerbating the severity of the crime.

Law enforcement learned in October 2019 that Peri's email address was distributing suspected child pornography. Authorities executed a search warrant of his email address and at his residence, at which time they seized various electronic devices. Forensic analysis resulted in the discovery of 706 images and 143 videos of child pornography, including children under the age of five and sadism and masochism.

Peri was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zahra Jivani Fenelon is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ's PSC page.

The sentencing of Robert Gasper Peri sends a strong message that child pornography will not be tolerated in our society. As a community, we must remain vigilant in reporting any suspicious activity and supporting victims of child abuse.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/former-music-teacher-sent-prison-child-pornography