Former FBISD teacher pleads guilty to indecency

A one-time elementary school teacher with Fort Bend ISD has pleaded guilty this week to three charges of indecency with a child, stemming from allegations he abused students at Barbara Jordan Elementary School.

Kenneth Lee Wegner had served as a physical education teacher for two years at the school until Nov. 1, 2004, when he was arrested on a charge of second-degree felony indecency with a child. That case began when a student told her parents the teacher had abused her, and it was investigated by the FBISD police department.

The following month a Fort Bend County grand jury indicted Wegner with three more counts of felony indecency with a child.

Wegner was indicted one more time for the same charge in 2005, leaving him with five separate indictments, each carrying the possibility of up to 20 years in prison.

Wegner this week was set to face trial in the 400th District Court of Judge Cliff Vacek, but at the last minute he pleaded guilty to three of the cases and accepted a sentence of 10 years for each. The remaining two cases were dismissed by prosecutors.

The case was prosecuted by Loretta Owen of the child abuse division of the district attorney's office.

Following Wegner's first arrest, he was removed from the school and the principal sent a note to parents informing them of the situation. A background check, according to district officials, revealed no criminal history upon Wegner's hire.

He worked for the Houston ISD previously.

Barbara Jordan Elementary is located at 17800 West Oak Village Drive, close to the intersections of FM 1093 and FM 1464.