A Shallowater ISD assistant band director is in custody and is accused of continuous sexual abuse of two or more children, according to records from the Lubbock County Detention Center.
Texas Rangers arrested Joseph Maculay Gonzalez, 27, on March 12. Gonzalez is booked at the Lubbock County Detention Center and is currently held on a $500,000 bond.
The Texas Penal Code defines the continuous sexual abuse of a child as occurring during a period that is 30 or more days and involves two or more acts of sexual abuse. The offense is a first- degree felony, carrying a punishment of 25 years to life in prison.
In a joint investigation with the Shallowater ISD Police Department and Texas Rangers, a student reported to child advocates that under Gonzalez’s instruction, he coerced the student into sending explicit photos and videos to him through Snapchat.
The investigation also reports that the student and Gonzalez engaged in sexual intercourse at the student’s home and at the Shallowater ISD band hall on multiple separate occasions.
Another student reported similar behavior with Gonzalez, who also coerced the student into sending explicit photos and engaging in sexual intercourse on several occasions.
Both students’ phones were examined by the authorities, where they found messages and lewd text conversations that corroborated their allegations.
As of March 16, Gonzalez does not appear on the Shallowater ISD faculty directory.
Amidst the investigation, authorities believe there are still unidentified victims. Individuals with information related to the allegations or who believe they were a victim of Gonzalez are urged to contact Texas Rangers at (806) 740-8975.