Former Wall Band Director Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison

LUBBOCK, TX — Joshua Alexander Carroll, the Wall High School band director who was arrested for producing child pornography and transferring obscene material to a minor was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release in Federal Judge John Wesley Hendrix's Lubbock courtroom today. In all, the sentencing hearing consumed 45 minutes.

He was also ordered to pay a mandatory Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) assessment of $5,000 and an additional fine of $100.

Carroll was nabbed following an investigation led by the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office and the Southern Texas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

The investigation began on March 19, 2024, when the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office received information from an administrator at Wall High School about an unknown individual communicating with students sexually via TikTok and text messages. Sheriff's investigator Nicholas Hammer interviewed several underage female students at Wall High School, revealing disturbing details.

One student, referred to as Jane Doe 1, reported that Carroll had sent her a sexually explicit photo of himself via TikTok. Another student, Jane Doe 2, provided screenshots of sexually explicit text messages sent by Carroll. The messages included graphic descriptions and requests for sexual activities.

Carroll, who at the time of the investigation, was employed by Wall Independent School District as an assistant band director at the middle school, confessed to investigators to sending explicit messages to numerous girls over the past few months, estimating the number to be as high as 50. He also admitted to receiving nude photos from some of the girls and using them for sexual gratification.

In addition to the previous victims, another student, Jane Doe 3, came forward, reporting that Carroll had sent her explicit images and solicited nude photos from her as recently as May 10, 2024.

Carroll picked up the federal charges when federal investigators stepped in and moved his case to federal court. He had initially pleaded not guilty but by August had decided to make a deal with prosecutors. The judge ordered that Carroll continue to be held in federal custody. His defense attorney requested that he serve his sentence in the FCI Seagoville facility southeast of the DFW Metroplex.