KY school resource officer indicted for sending inappropriate messages to students
A school resource officer with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office is accused of sending inappropriate messages to juvenile high school students, according to Kentucky State Police.
James Oakley, 47, of Benton, was indicted on a harassment charge Friday by the Marshall County grand jury. Oakley has been charged with the intent to intimidate, harass, annoy or alarm a juvenile who was a student at Marshall County High School.
Oakley is a longtime employee with the sheriff’s office, having worked there for 20 years before retiring in December 2020, according to state police. He came out of retirement in November 2022 and was rehired as a school resource officer.
The sheriff’s office asked state police to investigate Oakley on May 14. The indictment says the harassment of the student occurred between Sept. 1, 2024, and May 15, 2025.
Oakley is scheduled to be arraigned in Marshall District Court on Aug. 6, according to court records.
In a post on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page, Marshall County Sheriff Matt Hilbrecht said the office can’t comment on the investigation, which remains ongoing.
“We appreciate your patience and we will provide this information as soon as we can legally do so,” Hilbrecht said in the post.
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