Former THS Broadcast Journalism Teacher Charged, Arrested After Probable Cause Hearing

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A former Tupelo High School teacher is arrested and charged with two counts of sexual battery and five counts of child molestation.

This comes after a probable cause hearing in Lee County Circuit Court.

Braden Bishop was led away in handcuffs after Circuit Court Judge Thomas Gardner said he had reviewed the Tupleo Police Report, and statements from the alleged victim.  Gardner ruled there was probable cause for Bishop to be arrested and charged.

Until last week, Bishop taught broadcast journalism at Tupelo High School, and he was also sports information director.   Bishop is credited with building the broadcast journalism program at the school. However, he was suspended on October 29th, when police began their investigation and he was fired two days later.

An affidavit from Tupelo Police says the alleged crimes took place between December 2017 and October 2018.

“With cell phones and computers, I think it’s just a facet of modern society we have to deal with, people’s passions and natures sometimes get the best of them, it is illegal if a person is in a position of trust or authority over a person who is under the age of 18, it’s a felony offense,” said Lee County Prosecutor James Moore.

The probable cause hearing for Braden Bishop was originally set for November the second. But Bishop was in a mental health facility in Meridian.  He went there after giving a statement to detectives with the Tupelo Police Department.  And while it’s to early to talk about a defense strategy, Bishop’s attorney, Tony Farese, said the mental state of his client is relevant to the case.

“There’s always the question of competency, is a defendant competent to proceed to trial, were they competent when statements were given, and are there any other defenses or any other mitigating circumstances with regard to why a defendant acted the way he or she are alleged to have acted, there will certainly be a question of whether his statement  to law enforcement is a valid statement,” Farese said.

The case now goes to the next Grand Jury, which will meet in January.

Bishop is out of jail on a $100,000 bond.  Judge Gardner ordered Bishop to have no contact with the alleged victim and to not attend any school functions.