Bonham, Texas -- Jherson Manuel-Ramos, 27, of Bonham, pled guilty to 7 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division (TDCJ) for Online Solicitation of a Minor and Forgery of Government Document. The sentence was part of a plea agreement reached by the Criminal District Attorney’s Office where the Defendant will be convicted as a felon, be required to register as a sex offender for life, and at the completion of his confinement in prison, will be deported from the United States with a lifetime ban. This criminal will never be able to legally enter the country again.
In 2024, Bonham ISD Police, led by Chief Hunter Templeton, conducted an investigation regarding inappropriate communication possibly occurring between a teacher directed to at least one student within the ISD through various social media accounts. After thorough review and collection of evidence, Chief Templeton determined that a Bonham ISD teacher, Manuel-Ramos, sent inappropriate messages to a student in an attempt to get them to engage in illicit sexual activity. Bonham ISD was able to obtain those messages and spoke to and counseled the student.
Ultimately it was determined that no inappropriate in-person behavior occurred with the student, despite Manuel-Ramos’s encouragement.
A warrant was issued for Online Solicitation after a Fannin County Grand Jury indicted Manuel-Ramos for same. In their search to apprehend the Defendant, Bonham ISD Police with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, was able to locate him at a new place of employment. After his arrest at that location, law enforcement spoke with the owner and discovered that the defendant had forged a new ID and social security card, and had used those documents to illegally complete employment and tax documents. Investigators also uncovered that prior to his arrest, the Defendant had attempted to apply to another school district for employment.
“We commend the Bonham ISD Police Department on their hard work and dedication on this case. Their willingness to work tirelessly for the safety of the students of Bonham is greatly appreciated," First Assistant Criminal District Attorney Nathan Young commented.
“Criminals who would try to use our school system as a means to get access to children and further abuse or hurt them will be prosecuted severely,” said Assistant Criminal District Attorney Vanessa Vice.
“The bravery of the student to come forward and expose this teacher and be willing to pursue the case is outstanding," Vice added. "We thank all the law enforcement partners that assisted in the prosecution of this case to ensure our students are protected and this type of behavior does not happen again."
"The Bonham ISD Police Department is pleased with the outcome of this case and the sentence imposed," stated Bonham ISD Police Chief Hunter Templeton. "Protecting our students will always remain our highest priority, and we will stop at nothing to ensure their safety and well-being.
"The mission of the Bonham ISD Police Department is to effectively and efficiently protect lives and property, preserve the public peace, and serve with the highest level of professionalism and ethical standards. We remain committed to providing specialized services to support district administration and strengthen the ability of our schools to prepare students for the future.
"While our department strives to educate and divert students away from the criminal justice system whenever possible and allowed by law, we will aggressively investigate any individual who threatens the safety of our students and staff. We are grateful for the hard work of everyone involved in bringing this case to a successful resolution."
