WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Despite pleading guilty to an improper relationship with a student, the former choir director at Wichita Falls High School will not have to register as a sex offender in Texas.
Christopher Glenn Jarvis, 40, of Wichita Falls, was convicted of the felony offense of inappropriate relationship between educator and student after entering a plea of guilty during what was scheduled as a pretrial hearing on Friday, March 24, 2023, in 30th District Court.
Jarvis received a 10-year probated sentence, with the first six months to be served in the Wichita County Jail as a condition of his probation.
Following his release, Jarvis must attend the probation department’s sex offender treatment program as a condition of his probation.
Despite the requirement for Jarvis to participate in the sex offender treatment program, the former teacher will not be required to register on the sex offender registry maintained by the State of Texas.
Kyle Lessor, Chief Felony Prosecutor for the Wichita County District Attorney’s Office, said in a press release that this is due to the fact that the victim, a former student at Old High, was over the age of 17 when the relationship took place.
“Due to the victim’s age, this is not a registerable offense under Texas law,” Lessor said.
The victim, now an adult, gave a victim impact statement in the 30th District Court on Friday morning following sentencing. She addressed her age of 17 years and 9 days old at the time of the inappropriate relationship.
“The nine days were significant because it was your way of ensuring I could legally consent,” the victim said during her statement.
The victim said Jarvis began grooming her prior to their first encounter by playing the role of a confidant and friend, discussing her life and having conversations with her that she said Jarvis used to craft a narrative and convince the victim that he was in love with her.
According to the victim, Jarvis would tell her “everything a 17-year-old girl wants to hear” and meticulously laid a foundation of trust so he could later take advantage of her.
“You used me for your own pleasure with no regard for my mental health,” the victim said to Jarvis during her impact statement. “You took my virginity and my high school experience.”
During her impact statement, the victim said she regularly experiences distress following the events that transpired. She revealed she’s also been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following their improper relationship.
“It was not a relationship, it was a crime,” the victim said.
At the conclusion of the victim’s impact statement, audible applause could be heard in the courtroom.
Despite not being added to the Texas Sex Offender Registry, Lessor said Jarvis would no longer have the ability to teach in the state following his conviction.
“We have sent the Texas Education Agency the documents from this morning’s proceedings and the defendant will never hold a teaching certificate in Texas again,” Lessor said.
