Former Arkansas teacher admits filming boy in mall restroom

Shane Jones (Via the Texarkana Gazette)
Shane Jones (Via the Texarkana Gazette)

TEXARKANA -- A former teacher has pleaded guilty to invasive video recording of an 11-year-old boy in November at Central Mall in Texarkana, Texas.

Shane Samuel Jones, 31, entered his plea Monday before District Judge John Tidwell in Texas. Assistant District Attorney Katie Carter told Tidwell that Jones' plea agreement includes a five-year term of probation.

Tidwell ordered Bowie County probation officials to complete a pre-sentencing investigative report and scheduled Jones to return to court later this month.

"Then I'll decide if we're going to proceed with sentencing," Tidwell said.

On Nov. 25, Jones slipped his cellphone under the stall divider in a restroom at a J.C. Penney store in the mall and took a photo of the boy, according to earlier reports. The boy told his father, who instructed his son to notify store employees while he made sure Jones did not flee.

Jones also faces charges of filming students at Trinity Christian School in Texarkana, Ark., where he had taught. He was arrested in December on charges of voyeurism and video voyeurism.

Jones confessed to Texarkana, Ark., police that he had filmed boys in a school bathroom, according to police.

Officers seized Jones' computer from Trinity Christian and executed a search at his home in November. He was released on $100,000 bail after his arrest in Miller County.

ADVERTISEMENT

More headlines

State Desk on 02/13/2018

Upcoming Events