An elementary school art teacher who worked in the Northwest Independent School District is facing federal charges involving child sexual abuse material.
Kyle Lee Roy Francis, 24, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two felony counts for possession and receipt of child pornography, the term used in law for CSAM.
Francis was teaching art at Lance Thompson Elementary when Homeland Security began investigating him in January.
The indictment [warning: graphic] decribes multiple videos Francis allegedly downloaded and saved on his iPhone that depicted prepubescent and toddler boys engaged in sex acts with each other and being raped by adult males.
If convicted, Francis faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
In a notice to Lance Thompson Elementary families, Principal Amy Lawson stated that Francis worked at the school from August 5, 2024, until January 14, 2026, when the district learned he was under federal investigation.
“At that time, we immediately requested and received his resignation,” wrote Lawson.
Lawson stated that Northwest ISD performed a “standard background check” when hiring Francis that had “revealed no prior arrests or related concerns.”
She said the district had fully cooperated with federal authorities and notified state agencies as required by law.
“The Northwest ISD cybersecurity team conducted a forensic analysis of Mr. Francis’s district computer and digital footprint on district services, which revealed no inappropriate content,” she added.
Francis received a teaching certificate in May 2024, which is under review by the Texas Education Agency.
Several state teacher associations did not respond to a request for comment on this latest arrest of a Texas educator on child sex crime charges.
Over the past few years, a growing number of Texas school employees have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other children—including possession, production, and distribution of CSAM.
