Former South Texas coach gets 30 years for trying to entice 14‑year‑old Florida boy on Snapchat, prosecutors say
A former South Texas high school coach has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a 14‑year‑old Florida boy on Snapchat, federal prosecutors said Friday.
Kenneth Wayne Mulkey, 44, a former high school teacher and coach in Sabinal, received the sentence after being convicted of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas.
Sabinal is a small city in Uvalde County in South Texas, sitting along U.S. Highway 90 about 60 miles west of San Antonio and roughly 22 miles east of Uvalde.
Snapchat messages and geolocation
During conversations with someone he believed to be 14 and from Orlando, Mulkey identified himself as a 40‑year‑old football and track coach and requested sexually explicit photos, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Geolocation data placed him within 40 meters of Sabinal High School during the initial messages. The next day, he sent a sexually graphic photo of himself and continued explicit communication, authorities said.
Mulkey was arrested on Jan. 31, 2025, indicted on Feb. 19, 2025, and pleaded guilty to one of two counts on Aug. 11, 2025.
Breach of trust cited
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said the case reflects how deeply communities rely on educators and coaches to safeguard children. He praised investigators for ensuring that a predator who violated that trust will remain in federal prison for decades.
"I applaud our law enforcement partners who investigated this matter and ensured a child predator who had infiltrated our education system remains in federal prison for the next three decades," Simmons said.
Investigation and federal program
Homeland Security Investigations led the case, working alongside deputies from the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Florida and the Uvalde County Sheriff's Office in Texas.
The prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department program launched in 2006 to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts to combat online child exploitation.
