HAYS COUNTY CRIMINAL DISTRICT
Hays County District Judge Sherri K. Tibbe sentenced 33-year-old Kevin McLean to a total of 60 years in prison on April 29, according to Hays County Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins. McLean entered a guilty plea to six counts of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to ten years on each count. Judge Tibbe ordered that the sentences run consecutively, commonly referred to as stacked sentences.
“Students and their families should be able to trust that school is safe,” Higgins said. “We will hold anyone who violates that trust accountable.”
McLean was a teacher at a middle school in Hays County when he was arrested in 2022. The child pornography was found through a search of Mc-Lean’s phone during an investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior toward students. His wife had called the police to report finding inappro- priate communications with several female middle school students on his phone. Law enforcement seized McLean’s phone and interviewed the students he had communicated with. Through the investigation, it was determined that McLean had been grooming the female students by sending them nude photos of himself and trying to convince them to send him pictures. The investigation further revealed that McLean had sold or provided some students with alcohol and illegal narcotics, including THC vape pens and prescription drugs. No child pornography involving students from the middle school was located, and there were no reports of sexual contact with a student.
Assistant District Attorney Courtney Hansen prosecuted the case.
“We hope this verdict provides healing and closure to the families whose lives were impacted by this defendant’s abuse of trust as an educator in our community,” Hansen said following the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Hays County Sheriff’s Department and the Austin Police Department.
Kevin McLean
