(Comal County) — A Guadalupe County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Comal County jury convicted him on numerous child sexual exploitation charges and sentenced him to 14 life terms plus an additional 100 years.
Forty-two-year-old Jarrod Gaines Kirkus of Marion was found guilty on 19 counts, including trafficking of a child, sexual assault of a child, possession with intent to promote child pornography and online solicitation of a minor. He also pleaded guilty to additional possession charges.
State District Judge Bruce Boyer, who presided over the trial, called the circumstances behind the charges “disgusting” before ordering 18 of the 19 convictions to run consecutively. The stacked sentences ensure Kirkus will never be eligible for release.
The most recent investigation began in 2023 when a mother contacted the Comal County Sheriff’s Office after her teenage daughter entered a vehicle with a man she had been communicating with on Snapchat.
That’s when detectives say they were able to identify him as Kirkus.
Investigators testified that Kirkus falsely portrayed himself as an orthodontist while communicating with the teen. Authorities said he met with her multiple times and recorded some of the encounters.
During an interview with detectives, Kirkus admitted he was attracted to children and acknowledged sending explicit images to girls on social media. Investigators also testified that he failed to properly register required online identifiers as a sex offender, telling detectives it was “a hassle.”
During the punishment phase, jurors also learned Kirkus had previously been convicted in 2005 in Bexar County for sexual assault, solicitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.
Officers with the San Antonio Police Department testified about an undercover operation in which Kirkus attempted to meet individuals he believed were a mother and a 13-year-old girl. A victim from the earlier case also addressed the court, describing the lasting impact of the abuse.
Prosecutors also presented evidence tied to another victim in Live Oak after detectives extracted videos from Kirkus’ phone during the 2023 investigation.