Former Mississippi School Employee Accused Of Joining Pedophile Group Chat On District Phone

A former DeSoto County Schools employee has been arrested after investigators say they discovered sexually explicit conversations involving children on a district-issued cellphone, including messages allegedly discussing a 10-year-old girl.

Brannon Rushing, 49, is charged with conspiracy to commit a felony following an investigation involving the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.

What Investigators Say Happened

According to court records, the investigation began after federal authorities alerted DeSoto County investigators on September 10 about suspected child sexual abuse material connected to a school district employee.

Investigators say activity on the messaging app Kik had been flagged and ultimately connected to Rushing.

Authorities subsequently examined a cellphone issued to Rushing through DeSoto County Schools. According to an affidavit, investigators found a Kik group chat containing sexually explicit conversations involving minors.

Investigators also reported finding photographs of a young girl who appeared to be approximately 10 years old.

Court records allege Rushing participated in conversations with other members of the group about a sexual interest in a child.

Authorities have also alleged that some of the activity occurred during school hours while Rushing was using the district-issued cellphone.

District Says Rushing Did Not Supervise Students

Rushing worked for DeSoto County Schools as a residency investigator in the district office.

The school district emphasized that Rushing was not assigned to an individual school and was not responsible for supervising students.

DeSoto County Schools said officials were notified by law enforcement about the potential charges on September 10. The district terminated Rushing’s employment that same day.

According to the district, authorities indicated that the allegations were unrelated to his duties within the residency department.

The district’s residency department handles matters including student residency verification, transfer requests and shared-residency documentation.

Investigation Led To Felony Charge

Authorities say the investigation uncovered conversations involving Rushing and other individuals through the Kik messaging platform.

One report citing investigative records says Rushing acknowledged interacting online with individuals who expressed sexual interest in young girls. Investigators also allege Rushing was able to identify a girl discussed in the messages.

Rushing was subsequently arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit a felony.

The allegations against Rushing remain accusations. A criminal charge does not establish guilt, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The investigation could develop further as authorities continue examining the communications and individuals allegedly involved in the group chat.