Former Teacher Gets Probation for Sexting Student

MARSHALL — Former Waskom High School teacher Justin James Kelly, arrested last October for sending inappropriate text messages to a student, pleaded guilty Monday to display of harmful material to a minor, a Class A misdemeanor. That’s according to KETK and the Marshall News-Messenger. “The initial charge was online solicitation, but that statute was held to be unconstitutional a little over two years ago, so we had to change the charge to the misdemeanor charge he ultimately pled to,” said Harrison County Criminal District Attorney Coke Solomon. “Based on the evidence that was the only offense we could proceed with.”

71st District Judge Brad Morin, who presided over the case, accepted the plea bargain agreement made between the state and the defense in the case and sentenced the 24-year-old defendant, of Waskom, to 24 months’ probation. In addition to probation, Kelly has to pay a $300 fine and a $10 Crimestoppers fee, and perform 80 hours of community service. As a condition of probation, he has to serve 30 consecutive days in the Harrison County Jail, from Aug. 31 to Sept. 27. Additionally, Kelly has to surrender his teaching certificate, complete community service while serving jail time, and continue the Christian-based Celebrating Recovery program.