HOUSTON — Jerry James Svatek Jr., former president of the Boling Independent School District Board of Trustees, was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison on December 5, 2025. U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. issued the sentence for convictions regarding the production and possession of child pornography. Svatek Jr. pleaded guilty on the same date, and the sentences will run concurrently. He joined an underground online community where he distributed images of a minor victim.

Authorities identified Svatek Jr. in 2025 during undercover investigations into an online forum known as FetLife. The investigation revealed he was sharing child sexual abuse material online. Svatek Jr. exchanged multiple images taken from videos of himself with the victim during undercover conversations.

Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Svatek Jr.'s vehicle on June 17, 2025, and seized a cellular phone. A forensic examination of the device revealed more than approximately 150 videos depicting child sexual abuse material. Svatek Jr. admitted to creating videos and distributing still images over a messaging platform.

He was ordered to pay $78,500 in restitution to the victims. The court considered impact statements from the parents of the minor regarding the harm caused. Svatek Jr. will serve the rest of his life on supervised release after completing his prison term, during which he must comply with requirements restricting his access to children and the internet. He is also ordered to register as a sex offender and is currently in custody, awaiting transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.