Teacher sexually abused kids for over 20 years, Texas cops say. He’s sentenced

A former elementary school teacher accused of sexually abusing kids for decades has been sentenced to life in prison, Texas officials say.

Andrew Palmore, 53, was found guilty of continuous sexual abuse of children , and a jury on Oct. 16 gave him the maximum possible sentence, the Hays County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said in an Oct. 20 news release.

McClatchy News reached out to an attorney listed for Palmore but didn’t immediately receive a response.

He came under investigation after “an outcry of child sexual abuse” by a child, who accused Palmore, a former teacher at Blanco Vista Elementary in San Marcos, the release said.

The child was not a student at the school, officials said.

Police discovered several victims during their investigation and, in an interview, Palmore admitted to abusing three victims, according to officials. Some of the children were former students of Palmore’s from when he taught at Casey Elementary School in Austin in the 2000s, police said.

During the trial, eight victims testified against Palmore, including six children, and two women who were abused by him as kids, officials said.

“It was apparent from the testimony of the witnesses that Palmore used his position as a teacher to gain access to an untold number of children and to garner the trust of the community and the parents,” the release said, citing District Attorney Kelly Higgins. “It is impossible to know the true extent of Palmore’s sexual abuse, which spanned more than two decades.”

Palmore has no chance of parole, officials said.

San Marcos is a roughly 30-mile drive southwest from Austin.

This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 10:31 AM with the headline "Teacher sexually abused kids for over 20 years, Texas cops say. He’s sentenced."