Thomas Mckinley Koog Jr., a former San Antonio teacher, was given a substantial prison term on Friday for his crimes involving child sexual abuse images. According to court documents cited by KSAT, the 63-year-old was condemned to 16 years, or 192 months, in federal lockup.
Specifically, Koog's heinous activities included uploading a video on a social media platform that depicted minors in sexual acts. The upload led to a report by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber Tipline, which subsequently alerted Homeland Security Investigations on August 6, 2020. Further investigation revealed that in 2019, Koog had also distributed three videos showcasing child sexual abuse material to six individuals on multiple occasions.
Throughout this troubling case, it was unearthed by HSI agents that the defendant had been in a position of trust working as a guidance counselor at a Northside Independent School District elementary school. "Koog revealed he had been a guidance counselor with the district for more than 12 years and had also spent more than 20 years as an NISD teacher," as reported by KSAT.
This alarming breach of trust has undoubtedly had a significant impact on the community, notably considering the accused's substantial tenure influencing the young minds of elementary school students. In a somewhat similar report by Fox San Antonio, which referred to the material as "child pornography," it's detailed how Koog's actions contradicted the very essence of the guidance and safe haven schools and counselors are supposed to provide.
