Wilson Jones, a former teacher in Mississippi, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to charges of possessing child pornography. The plea follows allegations that he used artificial intelligence technology to create sexually explicit videos involving students, according to Action News 5. The AI-generated videos reportedly depicted eight female students from the Corinth School District, aged 14 to 16. Authorities stated that the students were never physically recorded; their images were digitally manipulated to create the content.
The investigation also led to the indictment of Edward Lee Childress, former superintendent of the Corinth School District, who was accused of failing to report Jones’ activities to authorities. Court documents indicate that school officials, including Childress, were aware that Jones possessed the AI-generated videos as of November 19, 2024. The Mississippi Department of Education was not notified until January. The delay prompted the district’s Board of Trustees to terminate Childress, FOX13 Memphis reported.
On state charges, Childress faces one count of Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree, with bail previously set at $10,000. Jones was initially indicted on two counts of possession of simulated content involving minors in sexually explicit conduct, in addition to his federal charges. First Circuit Court District Attorney Jason D. Herring stated that Jones was formally charged with three counts of depicting a child engaged in sexual conduct. According to court records obtained by FOX13 Memphis, evidence in the case was seized on March 3, and Jones was arrested on March 13.
