Sheral Lee Smith
12-07-08

The Rankin County Sheriff’s Department today served a former schoolteacher an indictment on four counts of statutory rape. The move comes two months after she was accused of having sex with a 14-year-old.

At her initial hearing in October, Sheral Smith, 37, Brandon, pleaded not guilty to statutory rape and transfer of a controlled substance. It is not known what happened to those charges since grand jury proceedings are closed to the public.

Madison-Rankin District Attorney Michael Guest would not comment. Rankin County Sheriff Ronnie Pennington could not be reached for comment.

A previous Clarion-Ledger story reported the teen is a student at New Summit School in northeast Jackson, where Smith worked briefly. She was not the boy’s teacher, and the alleged sexual relationship occurred prior to her working there. Smith has since been fired.

Smith’s defense attorney, John Colette said the public should not rush to judge Smith before hearing all of the facts.

Former Teacher Faces Rankin County Judge on Statutory Rape Charges (10/07/08)
Jackson Teacher Faces More Rape Charges (10/07/08)
Brandon woman may face 4 additional sex charges (10/02/08)
Former Teacher Charged With Statutory Rape (09/23/08)
Former Teacher Facing Sex Crime Charge (09/23/08)
New Summit teacher denies sex charge (09/23/08)
New Summit teacher denies sex charge (09/23/08)
Female teacher arrested on sex charges involving student (09/22/08)

Trenton J. Pittman
11-26-08

A Poplarville High School coach and teacher has been charged with the sexual battery of a 17 year-old high school student.

Trenton J. Pittman, 31, of 15 Casey Lane, Poplarville, was arrested Monday after an investigation turned up enough evidence to file charges, said Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department Chief Investigator Donnie Saucier.

Saucier said the investigation into the charge began Sunday night when the Poplarville Police Department received a call concerning a suspicious vehicle parked in a county resident’s driveway. Apparently Pittman asked the girl to park her car in another person’s driveway thinking the resident would not be home that night. Pittman allegedly asked the girl to park there so he could take her to Bogalusa, La., to get a hotel room.

When the resident came home and found the suspicious vehicle in the driveway, the Poplarville Police Dept. was called to check it out, Saucier said. Officers ran a check on the tag and found the vehicle belonged to the victim. Her mother was notified, turning the case into a missing person’s incident.

Poplarville coach arrested for sexual battery (11/26/08)

Loni M. Folks
11-18-08

Loni Marie Folks, a former Petal school charged with sexual battery of a foreign exchange student, pleaded guilty today in Forrest County Circuit Court.

Folks, 25, wept as she read a prepared statement.

“I would like to apologize for my poor judgment,” she said. “I’d like to apologize to my family and to my former students. There is no acceptable excuse for this behavior.”

Folks faced a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

Judge Bob Helfrich suspended a 12-year prison sentenced and ordered Folks to serve five years of post-supervised release.

Folks also was ordered to pay $2,600 in fines and register as a sex offender. Folks’ attorney Matthew Baldridge said overwhelming evidence against Folks led her to change her initial plea of not guilty to guilty.

“You know, Loni was ready to close this chapter of her life,” Baldridge said. “After looking at the circumstances in this case, it was in (her) best interest.”

Ex-teacher pleads guilty to sexual battery (11/18/08)
Lawyer: Confession coerced (11/11/08)
Trial date set for Petal teacher (09/04/08)
Sexual battery trial gets postponed for Petal teacher (05/15/08)
Sexual battery trial to begin for Petal teacher (05/15/08)
Teacher arrested, faces sex charges (1/26/08)
Teacher makes bond (1/26/08)
Petal teacher arrested on sexual battery charge (1/25/08)
Petal elementary teacher arrested on sex charge (1/25/08)
Petal teacher faces sexual battery charge (1/25/08)

Ronald Nichols
05-09-08

Deputies arrested a teacher from a private school in Byhalia, Mississippi for having sexual contact with one of his students.

Ronald Nichols of Olive Branch, Mississippi is charged with sexual battery by an authority figure. Nichols is a teacher at Grace Baptist School in Byhalia. Nichols is accused of going to the Southeast Shelby County home of one of his female students on Friday, May 2, 2008. Investigators say no one but the girl was at home during his visit. Nichols is her math teacher and while he was at her home, he kissed and fondled her.

Parents, do not leave your child alone with a techer if you can.

Byhalia Teacher Arrested for Kissing, Fondling Student (05/09/08)
Teacher Accused of Sexual Battery of Student (05/09/08)
Mississippi teacher charged with fondling student (05/09/08)

Rebecca Bogard
01-21-08

A female teacher at Biloxi's alternative school has been charged with having sexual contact with a male student.

Rebecca Bogard, 27, of Biloxi, was arrested Friday on a one count of sexual battery on a student under the age of 16 and was released on $50,000 bail. It is unclear if she has a lawyer.

Bogard was arrested after the Center for New Opportunities student's parent complained.

Biloxi School Superintendent Paul Tisdale tells The Sun Herald that he has informed the school board of the charge and will meet with the board's attorney and the district's personnel director Tuesday to determine what steps should be taken.

Underlying Facts and Circumstances
Affidavit of sexual battery
Warrant issued for Rebecca Dawn Bogard
Teacher e-mails colleagues, resigns (2/01/08)
Biloxi Teacher Resigns After Admitting To Sex With Student (1/31/08)
Teacher admits sex with student (1/30/08)
Biloxi teacher charged in sex case suspended with pay (1/23/08)
Teacher charged with sexual contact with student (1/21/08)
Female Biloxi teacher charged with sexual battery on male student (1/21/08)

Cedric Smith
09-08-07

Cedric Smith, a former Poplarville teacher and coach, has pleaded guilty to charges that he had sex with a 14-year-old student last year. Smith, who was 35 when he was arrested on a statutory rape charge in December, was a teacher and baseball coach at Poplarville Junior/Senior High School.

He entered the guilty plea Friday. Smith could receive a maximum of 30 years in prison, said Pearl River County District Attorney Hal Kittrell. No date for sentencing has been set. Kittrell said Smith will be sentenced by Judge Prentiss Harrell when the November term begins in Fifth Judicial District Circuit Court.

A member of the girl's family said Smith had sex with the student in his truck on the school campus. The Associated Press does not identify the victims of sexual assaults.

Ex-Poplarville coach sentenced for having sex with student (1/25/08)
Former Poplarville Coach Pleads Guilty To Sex With Student (9/07/07)

Aaron Gunn
11-05-07

This has been a controversial case from the start, especially after a popular politician made a public show of support in this man's trial in front of the jury. It ended in the case being thrown out and a plea deal, with the defendant only partially complying with the terms of it.

Rita James keeps a close eye on her girls, especially after the case of a teacher here who had a relationship with a student a few years ago, a student who ended up with a sexually transmitted disease. "Because the way these girls go to school here and it's not right for him to take advantage of these kids." said James.

In 2005 Aaron Gunn the third pled guilty to a sexual relationship with a student, a charge which apparently should have landed him on the sex offender registry.

Two years later, he still hadn't made the list and we wanted to know why. "Can you tell my why Aaron took two years to register as a sex offender?" I asked as a woman we believe to be Gunn's sister walked from the family home, got in her car and drove away.

Ex-teacher not on sex offender registry 2 years after plea (8/15/07)
Ex-teacher not on sex offender registry 2 years after plea (8/15/07)
Convicted Teacher Escapes Sex Offender List (9/26/07)
Ex-teacher registers as sex offender 2-plus years after conviction (9/25/07)
Ex-teacher registers as sex offender (9/25/07)