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Former Ernest Ward Middle Band Director Sentenced To Prison On Child Sex Charge
November 11, 2020
A former band director at Ernest Ward Middle School has been sentenced to state prison on a child sex charge.
James David McAllister entered a plea to one count of traveling to meet a minor to engage in sexual conduct. He was designated as a sexual predator and sentenced to 24 months in prison to be followed by 12 months of sex offender probation.
McAllister, age 35 of Cantonment, was the band and chorus director at Ernest Ward Middle School. McAllister led the music departments at the school in Walnut Hill during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years.
He reportedly interned or completed his student teaching at Bailey Middle School prior to his tenure at Ernest Ward.
The charge against McAllister was in no way connected to his employment or time at Ernest Ward Middle School.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office undercover “Operation Rotten Pumpkin” ended with the arrest of McAllister and six other men in November 2019.
While chatting with McAllister using the app “Meet Me’, an ECSO investigator clearly identified herself as a 14-year old female. In graphic detail, McAllister stated he wanted to have sexual intercourse with the girl.
McAllister asked for and received the address to meet what he thought was the underage girl at a local hotel. He was instead met by the SWAT team and deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Pictured above and below: James McAllister leads the Ernest Ward Middle School band and chorus during a Christmas program December 16, 2016. Pictured bottom: McAllister leads the entire Ernest Ward Middle School student body in Christmas carols on December 16, 2016. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
15 Responses to “Former Ernest Ward Middle Band Director Sentenced To Prison On Child Sex Charge”
As a survivor of being sexually abused this child will be scarred for his/her life without the proper counseling. @Bewildered mental health professionals and counselors play an important role in the victims recovery. Anyone who has been abused in any form will agree with me. Regardless this POS will get what is coming to him. Rest assure his actions will catch up with him in prison unless he goes into protective custody.
We should have chemical castration like Alabama…I know it won’t stop em completely but at least they would only do it once.
@Stumpknocker
You are correct if it had been a female teacher, 24 months probation!!!!!!!!
My daughter went to that school in 2016 and a bunch of the other students ,friends of her’s and so forth said the same thing he was a pedophile and these girls never felt comfortable being around him…I wonder if there is any other girls would speak up about their experiences with this teacher.
Wondering how many never spoke up that have been affected by this sick individual. Children are taught to respect and mind adults and the ones in charge of them, years ago it was seldom talked about if you were abused. I was one of the kids that was abused from an adult who was in charge of a group of children, when I spoke up it was covered up. You would think after 52 years the law would realize what has been done to these children will last a life time so the punishment should match it.
All those calls for vigilante “southern justice” sound really cool. Its totally law and order for group of civilians to decide who they want to live and to die amongst themselves with no recourse given to the target. The person in question is a sack of rotten horse manure, but the people calling for extrajudicial murder are no better.
I might not be a fan of how police conduct themselves, but no one should consider themselves above the law like that. Remember too, “southern justice” usually took the form of a lunch mob– something that most definitely is a hate crime.
@Bewildered
Yeah! Other countries should look at the US as an example of effective crime and punishment! We have more prisoners per capita than any other country, so we must be doing something right! /s
Matchbox you better lighten up! In socialist countries sex crimes are punished extremely light compared to punishment in the US. Actually all offenses, mental health professionals and counselors are more important.
This is NOT a political observation – reading actual court cases.
24 months .. what a joke.. I’m sure he will think twice before doing that again.. wow
I’m all for life, as long as the women receive the same sentence, and not separated by gender, wrong is wrong.
Boy oh boy…. Do you have it coming…… like it or not. and branded for the rest of your life
24 months??? Is that it? OMG
Castration and/or public hanging is what needs to happen to this pedophile.
I attended here during the years he teached. Always had a odd vibe, good job boys. But I agree only 24 months is ridiculous, that needs to be life. Once someone has a taste of prison they won’t mind going back eventually. Mentally, or by the cops.
Come on now 24 months and he had full intentions to ruin a innocent kid’s life and no telling how many he has already ruined Death penalty or some old fashioned southern justice come on judicial system tighten up