Former Shreveport Educator Sentenced on Sex Crime Charges in Delaware

A former Shreveport school administrator has been sentenced on child sex abuse charges in the state of Delaware.

Justin Lee Smith, 44, will serve four years in prison, and have five years of probation, after he pled guilty to one count of Possession of Child Sex Abuse Material in a Delaware court. The guilty plea was part of a deal Smith struck with prosecutors, which saw 24 of his 25 charges dropped.

At the time of his arrest, Smith was the head of St. Anne's Episcopal School in Middletown, Delaware. He was fired from that position after he was charged with 25 counts of Possession of Child Sex Abuse Material.

Smith Worked In Shreveport Prior To His Delaware Job

From July of 2019 through December 2021, Smith was the head of Southfield School in Shreveport. Southfield School is a private institution that has students in Pre-K through 8th grade. The school was founded in 1934, and currently has less than 1,000 students.

Red Flags About Smith While In Shreveport?

According to WHYY in Philadelphia, parents in Shreveport predicted Smith would one day be arrested.

The WHYY story quotes Dr. Deborah Fletcher, show according to their story texted a friend when Smith was leaving Southfield School, and said

“We will see his mug shot sometime in the future from a different school”

In January of this year, Fletcher's prediction came true. Smith was arrested and charged with 25 felony counts in Delaware. At that time, the Delaware Department of Justice said Smith had uploaded images to an online app that depicted young children being abused.

Officials made it clear that Smith was not being charged with contacting a child, and none of the student's at St. Anne's Episcopal School were victims.