James Parker
BY GENA HUFF, Editor
James (Jamie) Franklin Parker III, was sentenced on August 14 for the charge of a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student under the age of 19 years. The sex acts involved a former female student at Pickens Academy. Parker pled guilty before going to trial.
Parker received a 10-year split sentence and will serve 18 months in prison followed by five years of supervised probation. Parker must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. After sentencing was pronounced by Circuit Judge Sam Junkin, Parker was immediately placed in custody.
Two days before his arrest in March of 2016, Parker’s wife, Charli Jones Parker, was arrested and eventually charged with 23 felony counts of a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student under the age of 19. Her counts included two victims who were students at Pickens Academy. She is currently serving a three-year imprisonment at Tutwiler Prison.
Both husband and wife worked at Pickens Academy, Parker, J., as a math teacher, student government association (SGA) sponsor, and the head coach for the boys’ basketball
team. Parker, C., worked as the head coach of the girls’ basketball team and a computer teacher.
Assistant District Attorney Andy Hamlin commented, “Mr. Parker’s sentence requires him to serve 18 months day-for-day time in the custody of the Alabama Department of Corrections followed by five years of post-release supervision. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of life. This settlement agreement was reached with the support of the victim and the victim’s family. I hope this resolution brings them some measure of closure and allows them to move forward.”