A former middle school band teacher in Texas has been handed down a lengthy prison sentence spanning over a century for crimes related to child pornography, sending a resounding message of zero tolerance for such acts. Mark Daniel Mallow, 27, was sentenced to 131 years in jail following his conviction on 20 counts of possession of child pornography and one count for possession with intent to promote child pornography, according to a release by the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
Arrested previously in August 2022, Mark Mallow was initially taken into custody after Snapchat reported the sharing of explicit files to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which brought him to the attention of law enforcement. Mallow, who taught at Woodlake Hills Middle School in Judson ISD, was out on bond and subsequently rearrested on additional charges, including the online solicitation of a minor, as reported by KSAT.
State District Judge Christine Del Prado imposed the sentence, where Mallow received six years for each count of possession and an additional 11 years for the intent to promote, resulting in a substantial cumulative sentence. The judge directed that these sentences should not be served concurrently, ensuring the total time sums up to 131 years behind bars.
"Sexual offenders who prey on our children will be prosecuted aggressively. They have no place in our society," District Attorney Joe Gonzales stated, highlighting the despicable nature of the crimes which included imagery of babies and young children subjected to sexual abuse. "This defendant was just convicted and sentenced for some of the most vile and repulsive crimes known to mankind — the possession of pornography of infants. Part of the evidence included many images of babies and other defenseless young children being subjected to unspeakable sexual atrocities. Our thanks to Judge Del Prado for recognizing the severity of these horrific crimes and accumulating the sentences in this case," Gonzales told the Express-News.
Mallow is expected to stand trial on the remaining charges at a later date.
