Witnesses to testify in trial of former Provine HS teacher charged with sexual battery

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Prosecutors are expected to call witnesses to the stand Wednesday in the trial of the former JPS teacher accused of sex acts.

Amber Turnage is facing six counts of sexual battery after investigators say she had a relationship with a 17-year-old student at Provine High School back in 2017.

Tuesday, an investigator with the Jackson Police Department acknowledged that the student and Turnage had a relationship for several months.

Police say there are sexually explicit videos of the two together.

The teacher was fired from Jackson Public Schools after two years with the district.

The alleged victim and his father also took the stand Tuesday.

The student said he met Turnage, who was married at the time, after school one day and they quickly developed a relationship.

The young man said his teacher at the time gave him gift cards, money and even said they would sometimes go to different motels in Jackson.

The alleged victim’s father said on the stand that he became suspicious of his son’s behavior and decided to go through his son’s cell phone, where he found videos of the two.

Wednesday in court, the defense asked that some of the six counts of sexual battery be dismissed because of a lack of evidence, but the judge denied that request.

WLBT will continue to follow this trial.

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