A man who once led a federal, military-regulated program at a high school along the Mississippi Gulf Coast is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department said that Lawrence Dizon Jr., a former JROTC instructor at St. Martin High School, was arrested Wednesday and charged with grooming of a child under a new state law. Dizon’s arrest followed allegations by school officials in February of an inappropriate relationship between him and a student.
According to Sheriff John Ledbetter, an investigation into the allegations revealed that Dizon and the unidentified student exchanged roughly 1,200 text messages. Dizon was subsequently fired from his position at St. Martin. He was granted a probable cause hearing before Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Keith Miller on Wednesday and was handcuffed afterward.
Dizon was transported to the Jackson County Adult Detention Center and was given a $35,000 bond.
“At this time, the investigation remains ongoing. To protect the integrity of the process, no additional details will be released,” Ledbetter stated. “The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department requests anyone with relevant information to this investigation t o contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department’s Criminal Investigative Division.”
Last year, House Bill 1308 was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Tate Reeves. The legislation established a felony charge for those 21 and older convicted of grooming a child. Grooming occurs when an adult coerces children into engaging in sexually explicit behavior.
Under the law, perpetrators found guilty of grooming could face between two and 10 years in prison, along with a possible fine of up to $10,000.