A West Texas band teacher arrested last month on state charges of sexually abusing students is now facing a federal sex crime charge.
On Wednesday, a federal grand jury indicted Joseph Macaulay Gonzalez on one count of enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life.
Gonzalez, 27, was charged in March with two counts of continuous sexual abuse of two or more victims lasting 30 or more days. The offense is a first-degree felony punishable by up to life in state prison.
The alleged crimes occurred while Gonzalez was an assistant band director in the Shallowater Independent School District near Lubbock, starting in the 2023-24 school year.
Investigators found evidence that Gonzalez groomed girls via various social media and messaging apps, such as Snapchat and Discord.
Two female students alleged that Gonzalez had sex with them multiple times at various locations including the Shallowater ISD band hall.
Gonzalez was booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center on March 12 with bond set at $500,000. He is currently being held on a federal detainer.
State records show Gonzalez does not hold a Texas teaching certificate. He is not yet listed on the state’s Do Not Hire Registry.
Gonzalez previously worked as a band teacher at Monterey High School in Lubbock ISD during the 2022-23 school year.
He is among hundreds of Texas school employees accused of sex crimes involving students and other children in just the past few years, and thousands have been reported to the Texas Education Agency for sexual misconduct.
