A former Belton High School teacher has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material, according to a social media post from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas.
Giustino's case dates back to his arrest by the U.S. Marshals Task Force in San Antonio, as previously reported by FOX 44 News. He later appeared in federal court in Waco, where he pleaded guilty to one federal count of possessing visual depictions of sexual activities by minors. Court documents had alleged that the 39-year-old possessed and attempted to possess child sexual abuse material depicting minors engaged in sexual intercourse, the station reported.
FBI, Belton Police and School District Cooperated on Investigation
The federal case was built with help from local law enforcement. FBI agents investigated with assistance from the Belton Police Department and cooperation from Belton ISD, the outlet's reporting states. That collaboration surfaced evidence connected to a separate, ongoing matter involving Belton High School students.
During the investigation, the FBI discovered 13 cellphone videos, which agents shared with Belton police in an effort to identify and notify the families of victims and to pursue any potential state charges, per the same account. Investigators said the recordings involved several female Belton High School students captured in a classroom setting, described as invasive visual recordings made without the students' apparent knowledge.
How Giustino's Sentence Compares to Similar Texas Cases
While the precise terms of Giustino's federal sentence were not included in the U.S. Attorney's social media announcement, similar possession cases out of the Western District of Texas offer some context for how these cases have played out. A former high school athletic trainer was sentenced in federal court in Waco to 84 months in prison for possessing visual depictions of sexual activities by minors, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, Western District of Texas.
Sentencing outcomes in federal possession cases nationally have varied widely even among defendants with identical guideline calculations. The U.S. Sentencing Commission has found that sentences for 119 similarly situated possession offenders ranged from probation all the way up to 228 months, despite those offenders sharing the same guideline calculation and criminal-history category, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
