Ex-Sub teacher from Southaven sentenced for sexual battery, child exploitation

SUMNER, Miss. – A former substitute teacher from Southaven was sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty to sexual battery and child exploitation, Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced today.

Jakalyn Moore, who previously worked for the West Tallahatchie School District, was sentenced on Oct. 27 by Tallahatchie County Circuit Court Judge Smith Murphey. The case stemmed from charges of one count of Sexual Battery by a Person in Position of Trust and Authority and one count of Child Exploitation.

“Exploiting children that you are responsible to care for is a serious violation of trust,” Fitch said in a statement. “I am grateful to my team for their hard work investigating and prosecuting this predator, as well as the FBI for their partnership on this case.”

Key details of the sentencing include:

• Moore received a 25-year state sentence from the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 15 years to serve in prison followed by 10 years of post-release supervision.
• She was also sentenced to 15 years for a separate federal charge of production of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
• The federal charge and the state sexual battery charge will be served concurrently in federal prison. Moore will serve the 10 years of state supervision after her release.

As part of her state sentence, Moore was ordered to pay a $2,000 assessment to the Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation Fund. She will also be required to register as a sex offender.

The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated and prosecuted the case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).