R. Lugo, 17, went to the trouble to enroll in an elementary school and pose as a student in order to sexually victimize young children, according to Hurst police.
Now, the teenager accused of posing as a sixth-grader and fondling a student at the school has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, NBC 5 News reported.
According to police, the 17-year-old enrolled at Hurst Hills Elementary School last year, pretending to be in sixth grade.
Lugo has been sentenced to 10 years’ probation for possessing child pornography and to 20 years behind bars for indecency with a child. Lugo’s victim was a third grader who attended Hurst Hills Elementary.
Lugo did not act alone. A friend of Lugo’s, R. Ray Wesson, 28, posed as Lugo’s father, according to the authorities. In February, Wesson pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography charge.
The arrest affidavit alleged that Lugo enrolled at the elementary school as a 12-year-old boy by the name of Drew Wesson. The elaborate scheme to recruit potential victims included using a counterfeit birth certificate to enroll Lugo in the school, NBC 5 News reported.
Indecency With a Child in Texas
Under Texas law, indecency with a child is covered under Section 21.11 of the Texas Penal Code. Under this section, a person commits the offense if the child is under 17 years of age, and for the sexual gratification of any person, the offender:
- Engages in sexual contact with the child,
- Causes the child to engage in sexual contact,
- Exposes the person’s genitals or intimate parts in the presence of the child, or
- Causes the child to expose their genitals or intimate parts.
Indecency with a child is prosecuted as either a felony of the second degree, or a felony of the third degree depending on the facts of the case.
Searching for a Denton criminal defense attorney?
Are you being accused of a sex crime in Denton County? If so, you could be facing serious repercussions, including fines, imprisonment, and sex offender registration. Contact Attorney Derek Adame, a former prosecutor who is frequently interviewed by the media, including the Denton Record Chronicle, NBC 5, and the Dallas Morning News.
To schedule your free case evaluation, call 940-276-8998 today!