New evidence in a Harper ISD case has led to the re-arrest of Pedro De Luna III, unveiling more victims and recordings from a school theater.
GILLESPIE COUNTY, Texas — New evidence has surfaced in the case of a former Harper ISD teacher who was previously arrested in connection with an off-campus incident involving a minor. Investigators now say additional victims have been identified, and the case has expanded to include recordings taken on school grounds.
Pedro De Luna III was re-arrested by the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office after investigators uncovered new digital evidence. De Luna was first arrested on December 1, after authorities say an invasive visual recording involving a 15-year-old was found. Harper ISD said that initial video was taken off campus and outside school hours.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, investigators have now discovered additional recordings involving several young girls, stored in De Luna’s digital cloud account. Officials say the videos appear to have been taken inside a theater dressing room at Harper High School.
The new findings led to De Luna’s second arrest last Friday. He is now facing three counts of invasive visual recording and three counts of possessing or producing certain visual material depicting a child. His bond on the new charges has been set at $300,000. Investigators say more charges are possible as the case develops.
Gillespie County Sheriff Chris Ayala released a statement asking the community to respect the privacy of those affected:
“At this time I would ask we respect the victims and their families. We will always do our best to release information in the highest respect to all victims. The Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office CID investigators will reach out to the parents of all those who may be affected in this investigation.”
The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities say they are continuing to review evidence and will contact any families whose children may have been impacted.