School principal faces child exploitation charge in Mississippi after camera found in locker room

Published 9:13 pm Wednesday, February 2, 2022

An elementary school principal in Mississippi has been charged with attempted child exploitation following an investigation by the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said Tuesday that Norman Keith Aycock was arrested following “an investigation of inappropriate behavior.”

He faces charges of attempted child exploitation and is being held at the Bolivar County Regional Correctional Facility, news outlets reported. It was unknown if he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

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Aycock served as the elementary principal at Bayou Academy, which is located in Cleveland. School officials have not released details on his current employment status.

The announcement comes the same day the school said a camera had been placed in a varsity girls’ locker room.

“From our internal investigation, we concluded that the camera was placed in that locker room on Thursday afternoon while the campus was empty and removed on Friday. All devices belonging to the suspect have been confiscated by the proper authorities,” Head of School Curt McCain said in a statement.

The school said it conducted a “thorough sweeping of the campus” and found there “are no other foreign cameras or streaming devices on campus.”

“We are trying to find the words to help our students and staff feel safe and resilient in a world that sometimes feels unpredictable and scary. Our top priority is the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff,” the letter reads. “We have resources available for our students to assist with mental and emotional health.”