East Texas teacher and football coach Derek Bryan Peveto is facing six new sex crime charges while he remains in jail for allegedly raping a 16-year-old student in his pickup truck.
Peveto, 46, was arrested June 22 in Jefferson County and charged with sexual assault of a child (statutory rape). The legal age of consent in Texas is 17.
Three more charges were added on July 7: improper relationship between educator and student, trafficking of persons, and indecency with a child by sexual contact. All the offenses are second-degree felonies punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigators said they found photos and videos on the student’s devices that “clearly identified” the girl and Coach Peveto “engaging in sexual intercourse on or about June 13, 2026” and determined there had been multiple sexual encounters using Peveto’s truck.
The girl is a student in the Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District, where Peveto taught during the 2025-26 school year. He was hired by Jasper ISD this summer—his fourth job change in eight years.
The six new charges stem from a separate investigation by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office.
The East Texas Banner reported that Hardin County charged Peveto with four counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of improper relationship, and one count of promotion of child pornography—a first-degree felony.
Peveto has remained in the Jefferson County Jail since his arrest. Bond was set at $800,000 for the four Jefferson County charges.
Investigations are ongoing in Jefferson and Hardin counties.
Online records show Peveto worked for four school districts before joining Jasper ISD, starting in 2018-19: Beaumont ISD, Kountze ISD, Vidor ISD, and Hardin-Jefferson ISD.
Jasper ISD had hired Peveto as a football and track coach and special education teacher for the 2026–27 school year. After learning of his arrest, Superintendent John Seybold said Jasper ISD had ended Peveto’s summer coaching assignment and “revoked his offer of employment.”
Peveto has held a Texas teaching certificate for physical education since 2003 and for special education since 2005. His certificate includes a “Recognized” designation—a distinction awarded to “highly effective public school teachers” for which they receive extra pay.
The Texas Education Agency is currently reviewing Peveto’s certification. His arrests should trigger a temporary suspension of his certificate and placement on the Do Not Hire Registry.
In just the past few years, hundreds of Texas school employees have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other children, and thousands have been reported to the TEA for sexual misconduct.
