A Gilmer Intermediate School custodian was jailed after investigators found his phone recording videos in a boys’ bathroom on campus.
Shamon Natavion Patton, 27, was arrested and charged with invasive visual recording, a state jail felony.
According to a statement from the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, a school staff member found the phone “concealed in a trash bucket in one of the boys’ bathrooms” on March 17, after students had been dismissed for the day, and the phone “appeared to be video-recording.”
The phone was immediately taken to the principal, who determined it belonged to Patton. The custodian was removed from the campus.
The next day, Gilmer Independent School District administrators notified the sheriff’s office of the incident.
Investigators then questioned Patton, reviewed his phone, and obtained an arrest warrant.
The phone was submitted for forensic analysis and “will be examined in its entirety as part of the ongoing criminal investigation in the coming days and weeks,” stated Sheriff Larry Webb.
Patton was booked into the Upshur County Jail and later released on a $20,000 bond.
Gilmer ISD Superintendent Rick Albritton released a statement on March 27 explaining that the district’s ability to share information about the allegations had been limited by “the requirements of law enforcement” and restrictions “necessary to ensure the integrity of the investigation.”
“Please know that the safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority,” stated Albritton. “As we move forward, we are committed to maintaining a safe, supportive, and transparent environment for everyone in our school community.”
Both the sheriff and superintendent stated that a preliminary review of Patton’s phone found no images of Gilmer ISD students or staff members.
“If victims had been discovered, Gilmer ISD would have notified any impacted persons immediately,” Albritton added.
Over the past few years, a growing number of Texas school employees—including custodians—have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other minors.
Earlier this year, United ISD custodian Luis Escamilla was charged with having an “improper” sexual relationship with a high school student.
In 2025, at least four Texas school custodians were charged with child sex crimes:
- Allen ISD contract custodian Jason Giuliani was arrested for online solicitation of a minor,
- Little Elm ISD elementary school custodian Eric Landaverde was charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14,
- Austin ISD custodian Agustin Lopez was arrested on a charge of indecency with a child, and
- Bullard ISD janitor Bryan Taylor was jailed for unlawful restraint and attempted sexual performance by a child.
Thousands of school employees have been reported to the Texas Education Agency for sexual misconduct.
