School band volunteer filmed underage girls at his Mississippi apartment, feds say
A former school band volunteer and bus driver in Mississippi faces up to 30 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty Monday to charges involving minor girls.
Jerrell Lea’Shun Jackson, 34, pleaded guilty to producing child pornography in the Southern District of Mississippi, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He faces between 15 and 30 years in prison when he’s sentenced on Sept. 30.
Jackson is accused of filming underage girls at his apartment starting in 2017.
Prosecutors said Jackson is from Ridgeland, Mississippi, and worked for Jackson Public Schools. The school district is the second-largest in the state with 21,000 students and seven high schools, 10 middle schools and 32 elementary schools, according to its website.
Provided information did not reveal if Jackson’s victims were students, and a representative from the school district did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Tuesday.
A defense attorney representing Jackson also did not respond.
Jackson was indicted by a grand jury in November 2019, court documents show. He is accused of filming himself “engaged in sexually explicit conduct” with at least three minor girls on 10 separate occasions between October 2017 and October 2018.
The videos were recorded at his apartment in Ridgeland, prosecutors said.
Jackson was arrested a few weeks after the indictment was announced. A magistrate judge ordered he remain in jail pending trial, citing in-part prior charges of rape, sexual battery and simple assault.
The judge also said he used his positions as a bus driver and volunteer to “further the alleged conduct” outlined in the indictment.
Jackson pleaded guilty to three counts of producing child porn on Monday. He was previously sentenced in state court to 40 years in prison on charges of human trafficking and sexual battery, according to September news release from the District Attorney’s Office in Madison and Rankin counties.
The charges in state court stem from a complaint received by the Ridgeland Police Department in June 2019 regarding allegations of “possible inappropriate contact between underage females and an adult male.”
“Through a joint investigation with the Ridgeland Police Department, the FBI, and others, it was discovered that the victims were brought to Ridgeland wherein they were forced into sexual acts,” the district attorney’s office said.
School resource officer accused of criminal sexual conduct with South Carolina student
Man made teens send nude photos with ‘Property of Preston’ written on bodies, feds say
Nurse used spy camera to film 40 students using Tennessee school bathroom, feds say
