- FAST FACTS:
- Student's Mother Reported Possible Crime
- Sheriff's Investigators Arrested Johnson Monday
- Johnson is Locked up on $100,000 Bond
tom.powell@wreg.com
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(DeSoto County, MS November 16, 2009) A substitute teacher was arrested in DeSoto County Monday, after investigators say he had sex with multiple students.
23-year-old Joey Johnson faces multiple counts of sexual battery, and is locked up at the DeSoto County Jail on $100,000 bond.
Sheriff Bill Rasco says a mother of a student at Lake Cormorant High School came forward to report aggressive behavior by Johnson toward her daughter. Rasco says two underage girls got into an altercation at a party while fighting over Johnson.
The alleged sexual contact happened off-campus, Rasco said.
According to Johnson's Facebook Page, he is the father of a one-year-old boy, was in the Army and coached football.
One of Johnson's friends, Drew Bader arrived at the DeSoto County Jail Monday, after learning about Johnson's arrest on television. "That would never cross my mind that he would do something like that," said Bader referring to the Sexual Battery Charges Johnson is facing. "He's a really nice guy, a really really nice guy."
Bader said Johnson was very emotional when he visited him in jail. He says Johnson was crying, and kept repeating that he'd never done anything wrong in his life.
DeSoto County Schools Spokesperson Katherine Nelson released the following statement about Johnson's arrest:
"We are aware of the allegations but this is not a DeSoto County School employee. This involves a background-approved temporary services employee who was substituting for our schools. He was an employee of Kelley Services. He has been removed from eligibility to substitute at DCS while this matter is under investigation. The alleged incident did not occur on school premises."
