(Texas Scorecard) — A former educator will serve 25 years in federal prison for child exploitation crimes he committed while working as a band teacher at Texas High School in Texarkana Independent School District.
Brandon Neil Sams, 48, was sentenced on July 16 after pleading guilty in March to coercion and enticement of a minor.
The federal crime carries a penalty of 10 years to life in prison.
Sams admitted to engaging in sexual activity with several minors who were his students.
Authorities said Sams used social media and messaging apps to communicate with underage students.
He gave his victims gifts including cell phones, clothes, and prepaid credit cards to persuade them to do what he wanted.
After the Texarkana ISD Police Department discovered the band teacher’s criminal conduct, several students came forward to report they had been victimized by Sams in the past but had been too afraid to say anything.
“Mr. Sams used his access to teenagers to groom them to participate with him in illegal sexual activity,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “The sentence he received today should serve as a warning to all child predators: we will find you, and you will face justice.”
State records show Sams was certified as an educational aide in 2021. His certification was under review by the Texas Education Agency when it expired in August 2023.
He is listed in the state’s Do Not Hire Registry as “under investigation” by the TEA.
Sams began working as a color guard instructor at Texas High School during the 2019-20 school year.
He was arrested in September 2022 in Arkansas, then returned to Texas where he faced state charges and was fired by the district.
A grand jury indicted Sams in September 2023 on federal coercion and enticement charges.
In Texas, soliciting or engaging in sex with students is also a state crime. Improper relationship between educator and student is a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
In addition, a state anti-grooming law passed last year makes it a third-degree felony to establish a connection with a child in an attempt to subject them to sexual abuse.
Texas law requires school superintendents to report all allegations of educator sexual misconduct to the TEA, whether the school employee is certified or non-certified.
Texas Scorecard has reported on dozens of educators charged with sex crimes involving students and other children.
In 2023, at least 100 Texas teachers faced arrest or conviction for everything from sexually abusing students to creating child pornography.