CLEVELAND, Ga. – Leonard Amos Jones, a teacher at White County Middle School, was arrested Monday after allegedly having inappropriate contact with a student. Jones, 54, faces multiple criminal charges including three counts of aggravated child molestation, three counts of sodomy, three counts of sexual assault and three counts of reckless conduct.

White County Chief Deputy Bob Ingram said Wednesday that Jones was arrested after a parent reported that there had been inappropriate sexual contact between a teacher and student at the school. According to Ingram, Jones does not have an attorney yet and has not had a first hearing in Magistrate Court. He remains confined in White County Detention Center. No bond has been set.

Dr. Jeff Wilson, Superintendent of White County Schools, said Wednesday that Jones is on leave without pay. “What I can say is that he will never be back in a White County School. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement. There is a legal process we have to go through before we can terminate him and we don’t want to do anything that could in any way jeopardize the investigation.”

Wilson said he has not spoken to Jones since his arrest but that he would encourage him to cooperate with law enforcement “and not put our kids through another devastating situation if there are other victims.”

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