List of charges for former teacher continues to grow

Published 8:39 am Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mike Haley said the list of criminal charges against a former Mt. Hermon Junior High special education teacher seems to grow by the day.

He now faces 127 criminal counts.

Haley said another warrant was recently issued for Murry J. “Joey” Duncan, 45, for molestation of a juvenile. He was brought to the Washington Parish Jail Tuesday from East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, arrested and charged with the new crime.

Bond was set at $30,000 on the new charge, and Duncan was returned to the East Baton Rouge prison for housing.

In late May, Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators heard evidence from another child who claimed to have been sexually abused by Duncan inside a school classroom, according to Haley.

Forensics interviews conducted by the Sheriff’s Office and the Bogalusa Children’s Advocacy Center disclosed Duncan kept the student in the classroom one day while allowing all the other students to go to gym class. Duncan allegedly touched the boy and instructed him not to tell anyone.

The child’s account is similar to accounts from other boys around his own age who said Duncan also touched their “private parts.”

“It’s just one more charge that is going to be added to his portfolio,” Haley said. “There was another disclosure by a youngster how, he, too, has been molested by Duncan. We took (the child) to the juvenile justice center for our interviews, and his story was consistent.”

Haley said Duncan’s charge covers a wide range of child molestation.

“The three (latest) episodes against him amount to a total of 100 different charges,” Haley said. “Sexually related charges range from having images of children on his computer to touching children and pornography.”

On April 16, Duncan was arrested by the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office on a charge of pornography involving juveniles. While still in jail, Duncan was arrested again on May 1 on two counts of molestation of a juvenile in East Baton Rouge Parish.

On May 18, Duncan was sent back to Washington Parish where he was arrested again on a count of molestation of a juvenile, two counts video voyeurism and 116 counts of pornography involving juveniles. Bond for those charges was set at $50,000, which is in addition to his previous bonds of $50,000 and $350,000. After his arrest and booking in Washington Parish on May 19, Duncan was returned to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison for safekeeping.

Despite the additional arrests, the investigation is ongoing. The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office asks any parent, guardian, teacher or other responsible adult aware of any other wrongdoing by Duncan to contact the office at 985-839-3434.