A school security guard who previously lost a mayoral bid in a small Mississippi town also lost his job this week after he was charged with three counts of sexual battery against a 17-year-old girl, police said.
Isaiah Thomas Hayes, 38, also faces one count of enticement of a child for sexual purposes after his November 8 arrest, per a statement from the Jackson County Sheriff's Department.
The alleged crimes took place between August until the end of October of this year, per the department.
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Hayes was hired as a campus police officer on March 15, where he worked until his arrest, the Moss Point School District told the Sun Herald.
Previously, per the outlet, Hayes was the vice president of the district's board of trustees during the 2019 to 2020 school year. Per a campaign Facebook page, the Mississippi man ran for mayor of Moss Point in 2017 and for alderman at large in 2021 – it is unclear which party's banner the accused sex offender ran on.
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Jackson County Sheriff told the outlet that Hayes' alleged 17-year-old victim in all three incidents came forward to the Moss Point Police Department, which subsequently contacted the larger law enforcement agency to assist in an investigation.
The school district wrote in a statement to local outlet WLOX that Hayes was "no longer employed by the district" last Thursday.
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"Should information be presented to the MPSD’s administration that such inappropriate behavior may be taking place, the district immediately investigates and handles each situation," communications director Ja’Leasa Bolden wrote to the outlet. "We will continue to monitor this matter and take appropriate action based on the outcome of the investigation. We are praying for all families involved."
After appearing in Jackson County Court on Thursday, per WLOX, the 38-year-old was granted $30,000 for each of the four charges against him. He is still incarcerated at Jackson County Detention Center, per online jail records.
Court records did not list an attorney who could speak on Hayes' behalf.