A substitute teacher in Mississippi has been arrested on child pornography charges, police confirmed.
The DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office announced that Preston Ivan Lewis was arrested on Thursday, May 28, and charged with one count of child pornography (producing, sending, receiving, distribution, or possession) after an investigation was launched by local law enforcement, according to WREG.
Lewis, 69, worked as a substitute teacher at Hernando High School and taught Spanish at the time of his arrest. In light of the scandal, the district attorney’s office insisted that Lewis was not directly employed by the DeSoto County School District and was instead employed through Kelly Services. The third-party staffing company provides substitute personnel to different school districts.
In light of Lewis’ arrest, District Attorney Matthew Barton said that investigators are in the process of examining digital evidence and are working to identify if there are any other victims impacted by Lewis’ alleged crimes.
“We have heard the concerns from parents and want you all to know that this is an ongoing investigation, and information continues to come in while we sift through the digital evidence already collected,” Barton said in a statement, per the outlet. “All individuals who can be identified so far have been contacted. We will immediately contact victims if additional people are identified.”
Barton also applauded the school district and law enforcement agencies for quickly working to arrest Lewis.
“The DeSoto County School District’s response was immediate and exemplary,” Barton continued. “Their swift action helped protect our children, and I thank the district and law enforcement for their hard work in this case involving a depraved individual.”
The investigation into Lewis’ alleged crimes remains active, and authorities will share additional information about the case when it’s deemed appropriate.
Kelly Education, a division of Kelly Services, also issued a statement following Lewis’ arrest.
“The safety and well-being of the students we serve are our top priorities. We take all reports of inappropriate behavior by our substitute educators seriously and work closely with our school district partners to respond swiftly and appropriately,” Kelly Education said, per the outlet. “We are cooperating with the district and law enforcement in their investigation. The substitute educator has been removed from all assignments.”
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The business added that their “screening procedures comply with the Mississippi Department of Education’s rigorous standards and go beyond those standards to include comprehensive background and fingerprint checks, which cover local, state, and national criminal records, as well as the National Sex Offender Registry and crimes against children.”
“In addition to state standards, our vetting process strictly adheres to all district requirements, ensuring we maintain the highest safety standards. The substitute educator passed all screenings prior to employment,” the statement continued. “We remain committed to providing a secure and productive educational environment for all students.”
It is not currently clear if Lewis has retained legal counsel or entered a plea following his arrest.
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