BREAKING : Prosecutors identify THS teacher and potential charges

TUPELO (WCBI) – Lee County prosecutor James Moore says he is moving forward with the case against a Tupelo High School teacher.

Moore has petitioned the court for a probable cause hearing against  the teacher which those  court filings identify as Braden Bishop.

Moore says the petition seeks to lay out the findings which could result in Bishop facing two counts of sexual battery and 5 counts of touching a child for lustful purposes.  The court filing is focusing on a time frame between December 2017 and October 2018

The Tupelo Police investigation was launched less than a week ago when a parent made a complaint about improper contact between Bishop and their daughter.

Police spent at least one day on the THS campus conducting interviews and examining computers before taking the allegations to Moore and asking for a judge to review it.

Moore says no date has been set for the probable cause hearing but it could take place as early as Thursday. Prosecutors could not reveal if the potential charges involve one or multiple victims but say the child who is involved in launching the case is under 18.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the Tupelo Public Schools confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Bishop was suspended from his duties Monday when word of the police investigation surfaced:

“On Monday, Oct. 29, Tupelo High School teacher Braden Bishop was suspended from his employment with the Tupelo Public School District. Local law enforcement is conducting an investigation. At this time, we are unable to provide further information pending the outcome of the investigation and due to privacy laws relating to personnel matters.”

WCBI has invited Bishop periodically to be an unpaid analyst on college and high school sports coverage.

WCBI has made the decision to suspend our use of Bishop pending the outcome of all legal proceedings in this matter.