VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — A former East Texas teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a young child and having hundreds of child pornography images, police documents show.
Jeffery Lance Gurley, 56, was first arrested on an aggravated sexual assault of a child in September last year and booked into the Van Zandt County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
Van Zandt County District Attorney Tonda Curry said Gurley previously worked at Martin’s Mill, Kemp, Mabank, LaPoyner, Mesquite, Eustace and Malakoff ISDs.
Before his arrest, Gurley resigned from Martin’s Mill ISD once he became aware of the investigation but also prior to his arrest, Curry said.
He is now also facing 10 counts of possession of child pornography. He was arrested on Tuesday in connection with those allegations, according to jail records.
Curry said 10 out of 900 possible child porn possession charges have been filed at this time. Some of the children appeared to be as young as 3 years old.
According to an arrest affidavit, a child reported last summer that Gurley touched her inappropriately over the years beginning when she was 7 years old.
An investigator also reviewed the history of searches and found numerous websites on Gurley's computer that seemed to be consistent with child pornography, the affidavit stated.
When Gurley learned the child reported the alleged abuse, the affidavit said he attempted to commit suicide.
On Monday, an investigator learned Gurley had computers with hundreds of child pornography pictures. The officer noted that he had not yet completed the search but already found 10 pornographic images, the affidavit read.
