A former Texas mayor has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from an online police sting targeting people trying to solicit sex from minors.
James Montgomery, 65, was the mayor of Athens in East Texas when he first made contact with an individual he believed to be a 15-year-old girl via text in June 2020. However, the “girl” was actually an investigator working with Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006.
As indicated in a press release by federal prosecutors, the messages sent by Montgomery were sexually explicit. Additionally, he asked the individual he presumed to be a child to meet him for sex in exchange for cash.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Montgomery was arrested on June 3, 2021, after he showed up to what he believed was a meeting with the “girl.” He was one of four men arrested in the undercover operation.
Montgomery posted a $300,000 bond and was released from Gregg County jail. He resigned from his position as mayor a day later.
The City of Athens responded by expressing shock at the mayor’s arrest, releasing a public statement saying it is “committed to the protection and safety of our children,” according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
On August 25, 2022, Montgomery pleaded guilty to child obscenity charges. According to federal law, anyone sending obscene material to a minor aged 16 or under can face a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Montgomery’s sentencing was scheduled for September 6, with U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle presiding.
The former mayor will have to serve 60 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole. However, the federal system does provide for early release.
Cases involving the sexual assault of minors have climbed in Texas. The Texas Penal Code considers such offenses second-degree felonies, carrying a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
In 2020, minors comprised 40% of sexual assault victims statewide, according to data from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Many of the reported incidents to make headlines have been sex crimes committed against students by adults who worked at their schools.
As covered by The Dallas Express, a former school resource officer at Frisco ISD was arrested in June for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old student.
Additionally, a former coach at Vernon ISD was arrested in July for multiple sexual crimes allegedly committed against minors, and a substitute teacher at Arlington ISD was arrested in September for allegedly having inappropriate relationships with three teenage students.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a high school chemistry teacher and a middle school athletics director, both from Dallas ISD, were also arrested for allegedly engaging in improper relationships with children.
City data show that 517 sex crimes have been logged in Dallas since the start of the year as of September 7, but this figure may not reflect those perpetrated against minors.