SAN ANTONIO – Almost two years after being found guilty, a former Southside Independent School District teacher has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being discovered with thousands of child pornography images and videos.
According to court documents, Mark Anthony Rodriguez was found in possession of child pornography at his home after a search warrant was executed.
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The 56-year-old man was discovered with three devices containing approximately 4,700 images and 384 videos of child pornography.
In December 2019, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery found Rodriguez guilty of one count of distribution of child pornography; one count of receipt of child pornography; and three counts of possession of child pornography, according to the DOJ.
In addition to the prison sentence, Rodriguez was ordered to pay $70,000 in restitution to fourteen separate victims.
“During his sentencing, Rodriguez acknowledged that his job was to be a protector, not a predator, of children,” said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Callahan. “He failed. The justice system has now held him accountable. We are proud of the work our office and law enforcement partners do to combat this blight on our communities.”