Former Teacher’s Assistant Arrested on Sexual Offense Charges

Dammion Martin, 34, has been charged with six sexual offense-related charges in connection with sexual encounters he’s accused of having with students at Jones Senior High School. Martin is charged with two counts each of second degree sexual offense, crime against nature and sexual activity by school personnel.

District Attorney Dewey Hudson says the alleged crimes happened with two different victims - one in the spring of 2006 and another in November 2008. The 2006 victim came forward when the accusations about November’s alleged sexual encounter between Martin and a student came to light. Martin was employeed as a teacher’s assistant and assistant football coach at the school when the alleged encounters occured.

Martin is no longer an employee of the Jones County School System effective Tuesday, according to Kelly Michaud, the system’s spokeswoman.

The Jones County Sheriff’s Department came under attack during the investigation of the claims made against Martin because three months passed between the time the department learned of the allegations and when the DA’s office learned of the accusations. Hudson said he accepts Sheriff Hall’s explanation that his backlog of cases prevented his department from acting quickly. Hudson says he found no evidence that the department did anything unethical.

Allegations were also made that the Jones County School System failed to take action upon learning of the November allegations. Hudson says his investigation shows school officials did take some steps to notify officers. The same cannot be said for the 2006 incident - but a two-year statute of limitations had passed before Hudson learned of the allegations and therefore cannot bring charges against the school’s former principal for failing to report the allegations.

Michaud said the school system had no immediate comment on Hudson’s statement.

Martin turned himself in to SBI agents Tuesday morning and was being held under a $100,000 bond.