A now-former Gatesville Independent School District teacher was sentenced to eight years of probation after she pleaded guilty to sending a 15-year-old male student nude pictures on Instagram.
The victim’s family reportedly approved of the plea deal.
Christine Paige Cockrell, 54, was an eighth grade teacher at Gatesville Junior High when she was arrested in May 2024 for exchanging sexually explicit messages with the Gatesville High School student.
The communications began in January 2023, when the boy was an eighth grader.
Cockrell was charged with two counts of improper relationship between educator and student, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
A Coryell County grand jury indicted Cockrell on the charges in February.
On Monday, Cockrell pleaded guilty in the 52nd District Court of Judge Trent Farrell. Lampasas County Attorney Jessica Guy prosecuted the case.
As a condition of her plea deal, Cockrell will permanently lose her teaching certificate, which is currently under review by the Texas Education Agency.
Cockrell will not have to register as a sex offender, as state law does not require registration for the offense of improper relationship.
Hundreds of Texas educators have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other children in just the past few years.
Thousands of educator sexual misconduct complaints have been reported to the TEA since the agency began keeping organized records in 2021.
No ads. No paywalls. No government grants. No corporate masters.
Just real news for real Texans.
Support Texas Scorecard to keep it that way!
