HERNANDO — Preston Ivan Lewis, 69, a substitute Spanish teacher at Hernando High School, was arrested and charged with one count of child pornography, the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office said.
The office said Lewis was arrested following an investigation by local law enforcement. Officials said he was not an employee of the DeSoto County School District but was employed through Kelly Services, a third-party staffing company that provides substitute personnel to school districts.
District Attorney Matthew Barton said the investigation remains ongoing and that authorities are continuing to review digital evidence. “We have heard the concerns from parents and want you all to know that this is an ongoing investigation, and information continues to come in while we sift through the digital evidence already collected,” Barton said. “All individuals who can be identified so far have been contacted. We will immediately contact victims if additional people are identified.”
Barton praised the school district and law enforcement for their response. “The DeSoto County School District’s response was immediate and exemplary,” he said. “Their swift action helped protect our children, and I thank the district and law enforcement for their hard work in this case involving a depraved individual.”
Authorities said additional information will be released when appropriate and when doing so will not compromise the ongoing investigation. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
