An award-winning educator in the Mississippi Pine Belt has surrendered himself to authorities for alleged sex crimes involving minors.
First reported by WDAM, Tyler Shows turned himself in to Petal police on Thursday afternoon. Shows is charged with dissemination of sexually oriented material to a minor, and two counts of touching a child for lustful purposes and was given a $125,000 bond.
Law enforcement in Petal began an investigation into Shows in April after receiving reports that the Milken Educator Award-winning teacher had been involved in inappropriate contact with students.
Milken was a math teacher at Petal Upper Elementary School. Officials with the school district have since confirmed that he is no longer employed at the education center.
The former educator has waived his rights to a probable cause hearing that was scheduled for Friday morning. He is currently being held in the Forrest County Adult Detention Center in Hattiesburg.
