Former Austin teacher sentenced to prison for paying underage Colombian girls for sex, authorities say

Michael Wayne Roberts, 41, started working at Austin ISD after moving back from Colombia

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AUSTIN – A former Austin ISD teacher who paid to have sex with Colombian girls has been sentenced to prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Michael Wayne Roberts, 41, received a seven-year sentence on Wednesday after pleading guilty to three counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places, a news release states.

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Authorities said Roberts paid for sex with three girls between the ages of 13 and 15 on multiple occasions between December 2020 and June 2021, when he lived in Medellin, Colombia.

He started teaching in Austin ISD in the fall of 2021, KVUE reported. He worked at Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Garcia Young Men’s Leadership Academy and Navarro Early College High School.

The news release states he was arrested on Sept. 15, 2022, at his home in Round Rock. He pleaded guilty in February.

Austin ISD told KVUE that there were no allegations of improper behavior with students. He was placed on administrative leave after his arrest.

Roberts was also ordered to 10 years of supervised release. He must also pay $147,00 in restitution to the victims and must register as a sex offender, the release adds.

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About the Author:

Rebecca Salinas is an award-winning digital journalist who joined KSAT in 2019. She reports on a variety of topics for KSAT 12 News.