UPDATED September 20.
Two Rockport brothers, Josh and Brandon Nguyen, were arrested again this week and are facing multiple new felony charges related to their alleged sexual abuse of high school girls.
Josh Nguyen was a marine science teacher at Rockport-Fulton High School and director of Texas Coastal Academy, an after-school maritime vocational program for local students that Nguyen founded with Andrew Kane and Jeff Hutt.
Through the maritime programs, Josh had contact with Rockport students off campus, after school hours, and during the summer.
The Rockport Police Department first arrested Josh in December 2025 on charges including sexual assault of a child. His alleged victim was an RFHS student and participant in the TCA program. Josh was released on a $100,000 bond. His teaching certificate was placed on indefinite suspension in February 2026.
An Aransas County grand jury indicted Josh in August 2026 on four felony counts of improper relationship between educator and student. He was arrested again on August 20 and released on bonds totaling $51,500.
Josh was arrested a third time on September 16 on four more charges of improper relationship and four counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact, although a grand jury indictment filed September 10 lists 10 counts. He was released the next day on bonds totaling $80,000 ($10,000 for each charge).
All the charges against him are second-degree felonies punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
One of Josh Nguyen’s younger brothers, Brandon Nguyen, was arrested Tuesday on three new charges: two counts of possessing child sexual abuse material (referred to in statute as child pornography) and one count of sexual performance by a child. He was released Wednesday on bonds totaling $60,000 ($20,000 for each charge).
Brandon was previously arrested in August on a charge of possession with intent to distribute child pornography and released on bond.
Brandon’s twin Brennen Nguyen is named as an “involved party” in the criminal allegations against Brandon, as is Josh, but Brennen has not been charged.
Josh and Brandon Nguyen are reportedly scheduled to appear in court on October 14 to answer for the criminal charges against them.
All three Nguyen brothers are named as defendants in a related civil lawsuit, along with Rockport-Fulton Independent School District, Rockport-Fulton High School Principal Jodi Carter, and Texas Coastal Academy.
The Buzbee Law Firm is representing the plaintiff, who alleges the Nguyen brothers groomed then sexually abused her from 2023 through 2025, at multiple locations, starting when she was 14 or 15 years old until she was 17. The lawsuit also alleges Principal Carter knew about Josh Nguyen’s sexual misconduct with his then-student but failed to notify her parents or authorities.
Brandon Nguyen operates a local floating fishing cabin called The Office that was the alleged scene of some abuse. Brennen Nguyen works with his brother as a fishing guide.
Josh Nguyen was taken into custody at the Aransas County Courthouse, where a hearing in the lawsuit was held on Wednesday.
Judge Boyd Bauer of the 156th District Court directed the parties to submit additional briefs by October 16.
Josh left his teaching job in September 2025 and took a position as executive director of the Aransas County Navigation District, which manages coastal facilities in the Rockport area. Commissioners fired Josh from that job in the wake of the sex abuse scandal.
Texas Coastal Academy also appears to be inactive. TCA’s most recently listed board members were Andrew Kane, Jeff Hutt’s wife Christy Hutt, and Susan Ocker, wife of Nguyen’s attorney in the civil suit Matt Ocker.
The Nguyen brothers’ father, Long Nguyen, is an elected ACND commissioner. After Josh and Brandon were arrested in August, he announced plans to resign and said he would not run for reelection this November.
Texas Scorecard’s previous coverage of these cases can be found here.
