An Alvin man who worked closely with children has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and now faces decades in prison.
Franklin Joseph Perkins, 41, was arrested in November 2023 on multiple child pornography charges. Now, he has pleaded guilty to two offenses before his trial began.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Perkins is a former employee of two Alvin businesses: Kuk Sool Won Martial Arts and Gulf Coast Gymnastics.
An investigation by a task force, including the Pearland Police Department, the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, uncovered that a Google account had uploaded possible child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to Google’s servers. The task force linked Perkins to the account. Further investigation revealed that he had used various other Google accounts and his cell phone to receive and store CSAM material.
Following his plea, sentencing has been scheduled for April 15.
At that time, Perkins is facing a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison for the charge of receiving CSAM, along with a sentence of up to 10 years for possessing CSAM. In addition to potential prison time, Perkins may be required to make several payments, including up to a $250,000 fine, up to a $35,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act, and a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Trafficking Act.
He will also be ordered to pay mandatory restitution of no less than $3,000 per victim.
Officer Chad Rogers, spokesman for the Pearland Police Department, told Texas Scorecard, “It’s unfortunate that we live in a world where there are people who seek out interactions with children for nefarious purposes. That’s why these task forces are created—to go after this criminal element in society.”
“It’s important for parents to have conversations with their children regarding how what may be viewed as innocent touching may be problematic,” Rogers advised. “It may seem as simple as, ‘He touched my shoulder today,’ but it could definitely be grooming. Parents need to be checking their children’s social media, talking to them about their teachers and coaches, and looking out for them.”
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