HollyMatkinHattiesburg, MS – A manhunt is underway for a former Mississippi school teacher who may have run off with a 16-year-old boy while out on bond for a sexual battery offense.
Nicole Jackson, 30, had been under investigation since mid-March, after allegations that she was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a student were reported to police, the Hattiesburg American reported.
Jackson, who had been working as a teacher at the Earl Travillion Attendance Center for several years, resigned from her position before she turned herself in to police on April 10, WDAM reported.
She was charged with sexual battery by a person in a position of trust or authority, and was released on $10,000 bond.
At approximately 7 a.m. on Monday, 16-year-old Oscar O’Neal’s mother reported him missing, the Hattiesburg American reported.
The mother said she last saw her son at their residence at about 1 a.m.
According to social media accounts, O’Neal has also used the aliases of “Lil Pooh” and “Pooh Gotti.”
On Monday afternoon, the Hattiesburg Police Department issued an alert in an attempt to locate Jackson and the teen, who were believed to be traveling in a dark blue Chevy Impala with Mississippi license plate number FRA-4454.
“There is an active warrant for Jackson’s arrest, and she is wanted by the Hattiesburg Police Department,” police spokesman Ryan Moore said in a press release, according to the Sun Herald.
Jackson was named the teacher of the month in December of 2016, according to a school newsletter.
“Mrs. Jackson is our 7th and 8th grade Reading and Language Arts Teacher and has been part of the Tiger Family for 5 years now,” the newsletter read. “The students and staff at ETAC appreciate the service Mrs. Jackson has given over the years and are thankful for her hard work and dedication she gives each day.”