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Former Reservoir police officer sentenced for child sex crimes in Smith County
MississippiGDELTGDELT event0% biasedTue, May 19, 2026, 12:00 AM
0 of 15 sentences classified as biased · Model: roberta-anno-lexical-ft-v1
Former Reservoir police officer sentenced for child sex crimes in Smith County.Former Reservoir police officer sentenced for child sex crimes in Smith County RALEIGH, Miss.(WDAM) - A former officer with the Reservoir Police Department has been sentenced after pleading guilty to child sex crimes in Smith County.District Attorney Chris Hennis announced on Friday that Rodney Jernigan entered a guilty plea to two counts of enticement of a child.Jernigan was a resident of Smith County and worked for RPD near the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Central Mississippi when the crimes occurred.After being charged, Jernigan was arrested and later bonded out of the Smith County Jail.While he was out on bond, authorities discovered that Jernigan had made contact with a minor in another state through social media.This led to a new charge of enticement of a child.The Smith County Sheriff’s Department and the Attorney General’s Office investigated the case, while the 13th Circuit Court District Attorney’s Office and the AGO prosecuted.Jernigan was sentenced to 40 years in prison, and he must serve 20 years day-for-day before he is eligible for parole.He must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox?Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.Copyright 2026 WDAM.All rights reserved.