Former St. Martin High School JROTC Instructor Arrested on Child Grooming Charge
JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. — A former St. Martin High School JROTC instructor has been arrested and charged with grooming of a child following an investigation by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
According to Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter, Lawrence Richard Dizon Jr. was taken into custody on March 4, 2026, after a probable cause hearing before Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Keith Miller.
The investigation began Feb. 5, 2026, when school administrators contacted the sheriff’s department regarding allegations of inappropriate conduct between Dizon and a student. During the investigation, authorities discovered approximately 1,200 text messages exchanged between Dizon and the alleged victim.
Dizon was subsequently terminated from his position at St. Martin High School, officials said.
Following the hearing Wednesday, Dizon was transported to the Jackson County Adult Detention Center, where he was booked on the charge of grooming of a child. His bond was set at $35,000, and the case has been bound over to the grand jury for further action.
The grooming statute, enacted in Mississippi in 2025, was designed as a proactive law to protect minors from inappropriate relationships with sexual predators.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigative Division.
