Officials seek possible victims after arrest in child porn case

The arrest of a former Alvin-based martial arts and gymnastics teacher accused of multiple child pornography crimes has led to federal authorities searching for potential child sexual assault victims.

Franklin Joseph Perkins was charged with multiple crimes this month, including possession and transportation of illicit images and video. The 40-year-old previously worked at Kuk Sool Won Dojo and Gulf Coast Gymnastics, both in Alvin, the Justice Department said in a news release.

Perkins’ lawyer, Mark William Bennett was reached by phone but hung up when asked for comment.

Perkins stood Wednesday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison, who ordered him into federal custody after finding him “to be a danger to the community,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Edison’s ruling comes after authorities identified at least two women who have come forward to report allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate contact by Perkins when they were minors living in Alvin, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

An investigation into the former instructor began when federal authorities learned of child sex abuse images and videos uploaded by an online account Perkins allegedly controlled, the Justice Department release said. When a search warrant was executed at Perkins’ home, authorities reportedly found child sex abuse content stored in a Google Drive account associated with the instructor.

Law enforcement also found nonpornographic images of underage minors in gymnastics clothes and screenshots of young girls’ social media accounts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment Nov. 15. Potential victims or anyone with information about alleged sexual assaults can contact Homeland Security Investigations in Galveston at 409-443-0103.

If convicted, Perkins could face between five and 20 years in federal prison for transportation and receipt charges, the Justice Department release said. He could also receive up to 10 years for possessing child sex abuse images and videos.

Suspected victims of child sexual exploitation or missing children can be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children by calling its tollfree 24-hour hotline at 1800-THE-LOST.