Pedro DeLuna III, a former assistant band director for Harper Independent School District, was arrested Monday on allegations he secretly recorded a 15-year-old girl during an off-campus encounter. Court and jail records tie the invasive visual recording charge to a Nov. 7 incident, and documents show DeLuna was booked into the Gillespie County Jail, then released the following day. Harper Independent School District has said there is no evidence the conduct happened on school grounds or during school hours and urged anyone with information to contact district police or the Gillespie County Sheriff's Office, as reported by JUSTIA.
What the charge covers
Prosecutors booked DeLuna on a single count of invasive visual recording, a state jail felony that makes it illegal to photograph or transmit images of another person's intimate areas without consent. A conviction can carry up to two years in a state jail facility and a fine of up to $10,000, according to JUSTIA.
District response and arrest timeline
Harper Independent School District has publicly described DeLuna as a former staff member and emphasized that the alleged conduct occurred off campus and outside school hours. The district also said there is no evidence the behavior took place on school property or involved current students, according to WOAI. Court records indicate DeLuna was arrested Monday and briefly held at the Gillespie County Jail before his release the next day.
Who he is and local context
DeLuna is listed in the district's staff directory as an assistant band director, although Harper ISD officials have not said when his employment ended, according to Harper ISD. The district serves roughly 600 students in the Hill Country community of Harper, which sits about 25 miles west of Fredericksburg, context reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
Legal implications
Beyond the criminal case, state lawmakers recently updated reporting rules for invasive visual recording to add the offense to the list of convictions that will require sex-offender registration when committed on or after Sept. 1, 2025. Because the alleged Nov. 7 incident falls after that effective date, a conviction could bring both the state jail felony punishment and a registration requirement, although any outcome will depend on prosecutors and the courts. For more detail, see the Legislature's analysis of House Bill 1465.
What’s next
Gillespie County officials and Harper ISD say they are reviewing court records as the investigation continues, and local reporting shows DeLuna was processed Monday and released the following day. Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact Harper ISD police or the Gillespie County Sheriff's Office, as reported by KSAT.
