Former Elgin school janitor pleads guilty to indecent exposure

A former Elgin Public Schools janitor pleaded guilty to allegations of taking lewd pictures of himself alone on the campus.

As part of his punishment, he is to register as a sex offender.

Jimmy Ray Pierce, 67, of Elgin, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Comanche County District Court to a felony count of indecent exposure as well as a misdemeanor charge of destroying evidence, records indicate.

District Judge Grant Sheperd sentenced Pierce to a five-year suspended sentence for the felony count and one year suspended sentence for the misdemeanor. He also was fined $750 and court costs. He must also undergo mental health counseling.

Elgin police received a Crime Stoppers tip on Sept. 24, 2022, regarding screen shots of images posted online of a naked man posting photos of himself around what would be later identified as Elgin Elementary School with captions mentioning “parent teacher conference,” the warrant affidavit states. Data showed the photos were taken three days earlier.

The first set of 15 photos showed an elderly man wearing a greenish-gray polo shirt with white stripes, blue jeans and black shoes with white soles inside a classroom, according to the affidavit. He also was shown wearing black thong underwear and then exposing himself beside “small children’s desk, on the children’s chairs and course materials.”

The second set of 12 photos showed the man in a different area of the school in black panties, pink lace panties and exposing himself in several, according to the affidavit. Investigators traced the poster back to an Elgin rent house owned by Pierce, who was working as a janitor for the school district. Elgin police met with Superintendent Nate Meraz, told him what was discovered, and he identified the man as Pierce, the affidavit states.

Meraz and the school resources officer contacted Pierce on Sept. 26, 2022, to inform him of a suspension motion pending termination. He has since been terminated from his job. When confronted and told of his suspension, Pierce was then asked for consent to search his phone.

Pierce first agreed before changing his mind and saying “no” smashing the phone against the corner of a cinder block wall causing the screen to shatter, the affidavit states. The officer retrieved the phone as evidence.

After making his initial appearance in October 2022, Pierce has been free on $7,500 bond with the condition he remain current on all mental health treatment plans.