A 30-year-old elementary school teacher and junior high coach in Ponchatoula has been arrested and now faces criminal charges in two separate Louisiana parishes, after a complaint about messages exchanged with a minor led investigators to seize his devices and uncover what police describe as evidence tied to additional alleged victims. Trey Sparks was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail, and he has since been transported to the Livingston Parish Detention Center, where he is being held without bond.
Complaint About Messages Sparked the Investigation
According to WDSU, Sparks was arrested after a complaint was filed concerning messages found between him and a minor. He worked as a teacher at D.C. Reeves Elementary School and as a coach at Ponchatoula Junior High School, the station reports. Ponchatoula Police Chief Bry Layrisson said detectives found numerous inappropriate materials on Sparks' phone involving juveniles, and the department emphasized that no current students at D.C. Reeves Elementary or Ponchatoula Junior High are involved in the investigation.
In Tangipahoa Parish, Sparks faces four counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and student, the station's report states. As Us Weekly also noted, Ponchatoula police detectives are working with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office to continue the investigation, and more charges could still be filed.
Digital Devices Point Investigators to a Second Parish
The case expanded once investigators examined Sparks' electronics. Per WAFB, the devices led detectives to identify alleged victims who live in Livingston Parish. The station reports Sparks worked for Livingston Parish Public Schools from February 18, 2021, through October 25, 2024, as a physical education teacher and basketball coach, and that he resigned on that October 2024 date, citing other employment opportunities with another district.
WAFB's report ties the alleged Livingston Parish conduct to 2023 and 2024, while Sparks was employed with that school district. The outlet lists the Livingston Parish charges as molestation of a juvenile, indecent behavior with a juvenile, indecent behavior with a juvenile by grooming, computer-aided solicitation of a minor, sexual battery, possession of child sexual abuse material, production of child sexual abuse material, and prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and student. The same account notes Sparks is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Narrowed Timeline and an Ongoing Probe
Investigators have worked to pin down when the alleged Livingston Parish conduct occurred. WBRZ reports that officials narrowed the timeframe of Sparks' alleged criminal activity in Livingston Parish to 2023 through 2024, the same stretch when he was employed at Maurepas School, according to the station's account. Ponchatoula police seized Sparks' devices, which led investigators to identify victims in Livingston Parish.
Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said more charges are expected, calling it an ongoing investigation, according to Yahoo News. WBRZ's report similarly indicated that additional charges are anticipated as investigators work to identify any further possible victims.
Tangipahoa School District Response
WDSU reported that the Tangipahoa Parish School District said in a statement that Sparks had been placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the charges, adding that the safety and wellbeing of its students remain a top priority and that the district will continue collaborating with law enforcement to support the investigation and student safety.
What the Charges Could Mean
The Louisiana statute on prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and student, as published by the Louisiana State Legislature, describes sexual intercourse by an educator with a student who is at least 17 but under 21 when the age difference exceeds four years and the student attends the school where the educator works. It also covers lewd or lascivious conduct intended to gratify sexual desires when those same age and school-attendance conditions are met. Separately, the Legislature's published text on child sexual abuse materials sets a penalty of up to $50,000 in fines and five to 20 years of imprisonment at hard labor, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, for intentionally possessing such material.
It was not clear whether Sparks had entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest, according to Us Weekly. Authorities have asked anyone with information to contact the Ponchatoula Police Department at 985-386-6548.
