Texas high school coach thought he was sexting teen, but it was Florida cop, feds say

A Texas high school football coach is accused of sending sexually explicit messages and photos to an undercover officer posing as a teenage boy, federal officials say.

Kenneth Wayne Mulkey, 43, was arrested Friday, Jan. 31, on a charge of attempted enticement of a minor, according to records filed Feb. 3 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

In a statement by Sabinal Independent School District, where Mulkey worked, officials said they are aware of the accusations and that Mulkey has been placed on administrative leave.

An attorney representing Mulkey did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment Feb. 4.

Prosecutors say Mulkey was messaging who he thought was a teen boy on Snapchat, but was actually an undercover officer with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando, Florida. Mulkey began talking with them on Oct. 11, asking their age, sex and location, prosecutors say.

The officer said they were 14 years old, and Mulkey told them he was a 40-year-old football and track coach, according to prosecutors. Things quickly escalated from there.

“(Mulkey) sent a photo of himself before requesting sexually explicit photos of the minor—which the minor declined—and subsequently discussing topics that were sexual in nature,” a Department of Justice news release said. “The following day, Mulkey sent a sexually graphic photo of himself to the user he believed to be a teenage boy.”

Mulkey, whose Snapchat username was “Coach M,” is wearing basketball shorts and a distinctive and higher-end wristwatch in the photo he sent, prosecutors say.

As investigators worked to identify Coach M, they discovered some of his messages had been sent from “within” 130 feet of Sabinal High School, meaning he had either been on campus or very near when the explicit exchanges took place.

Investigators looked up Sabinal Independent School District staff on the district’s website and found a face they recognized from a selfie sent to the undercover officer, documents said. It was Mulkey.

The undercover officer contacted local law enforcement in Texas, as well as Homeland Security Investigations, and they began looking into Mulkey, according to prosecutors.

Investigators confronted Mulkey on Jan. 31, spoke with him and searched his phone, documents said. They also noticed he was wearing the same wristwatch seen in the explicit photo.

Mulkey was officially charged during his first federal court appearance on Feb. 3, prosecutors said.

He could spend 10 years in prison, or receive a life sentence, if he’s convicted.