A former Texas teacher received the maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography—specifically videos showing her performing sexual acts on a prepubescent child.
Sonya Conchita Murillo, 33, was a substitute teacher for the Marfa Independent School District in West Texas.
Murillo was arrested in June 2023 on federal sexual exploitation of children charges, a month after her boyfriend was arrested on similar charges. She has been held in federal custody without bond ever since.
The former teacher pleaded guilty in January to one count of production of child pornography; four additional counts were dropped.
“The fact that the judge delivered the maximum allowed 30-year imprisonment to this defendant for producing child pornography, is indicative of the utterly horrendous predatory acts Murillo committed,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza in a Justice Department statement.
Murrillo’s one-time boyfriend Patricio Javier “PJ” Serrano, a youth softball coach in Marfa, was arrested in May 2023 for possessing child sexual abuse materials featuring images and videos of prepubescent boys.
While investigating Serrano, authorities found at least eight Snapchat videos of Murillo performing sexual acts on a boy who was 3 to 5 years old, according to an affidavit filed in the case.
“Children trust their teachers and caretakers and Murillo betrayed that trust,” said Special Agent in Charge John Morales for FBI El Paso. “No child should ever have to question the motives of an adult they interact with at school or at home.”
State records show Murillo was never issued a Texas teaching certificate, and her name is not in the state’s “Do Not Hire Registry” of people who are not eligible for hire in a Texas public school based on misconduct or criminal history.
Judge David Counts recommended Murillo serve her time at the Carswell Unit in Fort Worth. Her ex-boyfriend Serrano pleaded guilty last October and is serving 97 months in a low security federal facility in Bastrop.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Marfa Police Department investigated the case.
Murillo is among scores of Texas teachers charged with possession of child pornography and other sex crimes involving children.
Earlier this month, Katy ISD teacher James Stone was charged with nine counts of possessing child porn, while Gatesville ISD teacher Christine Cockrell was arrested for sending nude photos of herself to a 15-year-old male student via Instagram.
