Friendswood police officers arrested 32-year-old Lewis Stott around 6:16 p.m. on Friday, taking him into custody on a Harris County warrant tied to an ongoing investigation into sexual abuse allegations spanning 2020 to 2026. Stott, who lives in Seabrook, worked at The Galloway School, a small private campus in Friendswood, where he held roles as a PE teacher, second-grade teacher, substitute teacher, and soccer club coach, according to Friendswood police.
Stott was booked into the Harris County Jail on a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child less than 14 years of age, per police records cited by FOX 26 Houston. Early reporting on his custody status diverged: FOX 26 reported his bond was set at $100,000, while local outlet KPRC 2 reported, per Click2Houston, that he was being held with no bond. The discrepancy has not been independently resolved.
Friendswood police say the alleged abuse occurred during Stott's employment at The Galloway School, according to the department. Investigators believe there may be other victims given Stott's former position at the school, and police are encouraging any families who had contact with him to speak with their children about the matter. Anyone with information about the case can contact Friendswood police at 281-996-3300.
A First-Degree Felony With a Mandatory 25-Year Floor
The charge against Stott, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, is a first-degree felony under Texas Penal Code § 21.02 that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in state prison without parole eligibility, according to Deandra Grant Law. The statute lets prosecutors charge defendants who commit two or more acts of sexual abuse over 30 or more days against a child under 14 without requiring jurors to agree unanimously on the specific dates or individual acts involved, per the same source. That structure was built for cases where young victims often cannot pinpoint exact dates for repeated abuse.
The law traces back to 2007, when the Texas Legislature created it as part of the state's “Jessica's Law” reforms targeting patterns of child sexual abuse; lawmakers expanded it in 2021 to also cover disabled individuals, according to Cofer Luster Criminal Defense Lawyers. Because it sits just below capital murder in severity under Texas law, the charge signals how seriously prosecutors are treating the allegations against Stott.
Small Campus, Faith-Based Mission
The Galloway School sits at 3200 W. Bay Area Blvd. in Friendswood, a suburb that straddles both Harris and Galveston counties — though the school campus itself falls within Harris County, where the warrant was executed and booking occurred, per Click2Houston. Founded in 1993, the private, faith-based Christian STEM academy serves roughly 160 students from prekindergarten through 8th grade, according to Cause IQ. Tuition for first and second grade — the age group Stott reportedly taught — runs $17,077 annually for the 2026-2027 school year, and IRS filings show the school employed about 65 staff members in 2025, per the same source.
The Galloway School directed FOX 26 to Houston attorney Chris Tritico for comment. Tritico is a well-known defense lawyer and television legal analyst whose past clients have included Texas educators as well as Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, according to Tritico Law. It remains unclear whether the alleged abuse took place on campus grounds or off-campus, and police have not said whether any current or former Galloway School students are among the potential victims — details investigators have withheld to protect those involved.
Friendswood police are continuing to seek other potential victims and have asked parents who had any contact with Stott to talk with their children directly. The department has not released additional details about the timeline of the alleged abuse beyond the 2020-to-2026 window tied to his employment.
