Former Corinth Superintendent Lee Childress Found Not Guilty in Case Involving Explicit AI Images of Students

Former Corinth School District Superintendent Dr. Lee Childress was found not guilty Wednesday by a federal jury on a felony charge connected to the Wilson Jones investigation.

Jurors began deliberating around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, and returned a verdict around 8 p.m.

Federal prosecutors had accused Childress of failing to properly report information about a crime after district officials learned that Jones, a former Corinth Middle School teacher, had allegedly used artificial intelligence to create explicit images and videos involving students. Prosecutors argued Childress knew about Jones’ actions and did not immediately report the matter to law enforcement, instead allowing Jones to resign.

The jury ultimately found that prosecutors did not prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case stemmed from allegations involving Jones, who was accused of creating AI-generated sexually explicit depictions of eight Corinth students, ages 14 to 16. Authorities previously said the students were not physically filmed and that the material was created through artificial intelligence. Jones resigned from the district on Nov. 21, 2024, after software on a school-issued computer alerted the district to activity involving sexually explicit material.