A former licensed counselor from San Antonio has been given a 28-year sentence in federal prison for sexual exploitation of children. Adrian Scott Warren, 47, who also held the position as president of the Texas Counseling Association, faced charges after initiating contact with an FBI undercover agent through a dating application and later a messenger app, where he expressed a sexual interest in minors and admitted engaging in sexual activities with a minor male since the child was seven years old, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to a statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, on August 4, 2022, Warren believed he was traveling to meet a nine-year-old child to engage in sexual activity at a hotel. Instead, he was arrested by FBI agents, who seized his cellphone, which contained evidence of the criminal activities. He was arrested the following day, August 5, 2022, and later indicted for sexual exploitation of a child, and possession of child pornography.
Warren pleaded guilty to count one on November 14, 2023, leading to his 28-year imprisonment, which will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The court also ordered him to pay restitution amounting to $140,840 to the victim of the sexual exploitation and an additional $100,000 to be divided among 20 other victims, whose images Warren had in his possession, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office. This sentencing sends a message of the consequences awaiting those who engage in such egregious criminal acts against children.
