In the news in 2023: Principal guilty of child sex crimes

"Despite (Holler's) outward appearance as a pillar in the educational community — he has a sexual interest in children that he appears to have kept hidden for some time," reads a court document submitted by the DA's Office.

In the month prior to his arrest, Holler started speaking with someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl using the chat app called Kik, according to information submitted to the court. The individual, referred to as J. Doe in court documents, quickly told him her age, that she was in the seventh grade and lived in Philadelphia. Doe sent Holler photos of herself that made it clear she was "unequivocally a prepubescent minor." 

Holler responded to Doe by saying he was sexually interested in her.

A joint investigation into Holler's communications was conducted by the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and the DA's Office. The investigation found Holler "engaged in abhorrent communication with Doe" from multiple locations, including his office at school, the Pleasant Valley Holiday Market and his home, for weeks. The communication included Holler sending pornographic videos, lewd messages and a photo of his genitals. Holler also repeatedly asked the girl for sexually explicit photos of herself. 

Holler attempted to make plans to meet Doe over Thanksgiving break, according to investigators. While speaking with Doe, he described "in gross detail" the sexual acts he planned to do after "kidnapping" her. Other conversations Holler had included his bragging that he had seen 10 of his students' breasts in his office by allowing them to avoid detention by showing their breasts, and that a girl had touched his genitals in his office — claims that are still under investigation.

Investigators also alleged Holler contacted a minor in the United Kingdom, though fewer details regarding this claim were available in court documents.

While awaiting trial, Holler's bail eligibility was a point of concern for prosecutors, who filed a document to the court requesting he be held without bail.

"The people are concerned that defendant will flee, molest a child before being imprisoned or kill himself if released," reads the request for bail setting filed Oct. 19.

Holler changed his plea Dec. 11, entering guilty pleas to charges of distributing pornography to a minor and contacting a minor for the purposes of committing a sexual offense. He is scheduled to be sentenced to three years and eight months in state prison Jan. 22 at 1:30 p.m. in El Dorado County Superior Court Department 1. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. The maximum sentence for Holler's charges has been set by the state legislature, according to a press release from the DA.