Amarillo ISD Coach Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing a 17-year old Student

An Amarillo ISD coach who sexually abused a 17-year-old student was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Nicholas Jade Herrmann, 32, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison on June 23, 2026, by United States District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk for enticement of a minor. The Court also ordered that the prison term be followed by 25 years of supervised release, and Hermann will also have to register as a sex offender.

"When parents send their children to school, they place their trust in the school's staff not only to provide them with an education but also to keep them safe," said U.S. Attorney Raybould. "This defendant clearly took advantage of the trust he was given, and his sentence should serve as a warning to others."

"HSI Dallas is committed to protecting children against anyone abusing their power especially in a trusted position at a school," said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. "Working together with our local and federal partners, and the school district, we were able to ensure this perpetrator cannot hurt anyone else for many years to come. We will also continue to investigate to identify any other potential victims."

According to court documents, at the time of the offense, Herrmann was an assistant wrestling coach at Tascosa High School in Amarillo, Texas, when he engaged in an inappropriate and sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. Text messages located on the student's device revealed that beginning around January 2025, Herrmann began exchanging sexually explicit messages with the student and coerced her to sneak out of her house at night to meet him for sexual activity.

When confronted by law enforcement, Herrmann denied the inappropriate communication and sexual relationship. The student also first lied to law enforcement to protect Herrmann, but later admitted Herrmann had sexual intercourse with her three times on two separate occasions.

At sentencing, the student's mother detailed how Herrmann's sexual abuse of her daughter impacted her daughter and their family. Her statement revealed how Herrmann groomed both her daughter and their family to trust him and how his sexual abuse of her daughter completely changed her life's trajectory.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Amarillo Police Department conducted the investigation with the full cooperation of the Amarillo Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.