KY teacher arrested for alleged sex crime that was first reported over 7 years ago
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- State police arrested ex-teacher Jason Shelby on charges of rape and abuse.
- Investigation began in 2018 after a report of misconduct dating back to 2005.
- New victim testimony enabled issuance of warrant and subsequent arrest in 2025.
Kentucky State Police have made an arrest in a yearslong sex crime investigation that involved a former Murray High School teacher.
Jason Shelby, who turns 47 Friday, was arrested Wednesday and charged with third-degree rape and first-degree sexual abuse, according to state police. He is accused of having inappropriate sexual relations with former students.
State police began investigating Shelby in August 2018 after the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board sent detectives a report of allegations dating back as far as 2005.
Shelby was a teacher at the time the report was made but resigned about two months later, according to state police.
State police said it wasn’t until just recently that they had enough evidence to obtain an arrest warrant after a victim came forward and provided more information. The victim, a former student, told investigators she had a sexual relationship with Shelby in 2008 and 2009, when she was 15 and 16 years old, respectively.
The arrest warrant says the victim and Shelby would use code words in emails to schedule meetups. The sexual encounters happened in Shelby’s car, his house and Chestnut Park.
After detectives spoke with the victim, they visited Shelby at his residence Tuesday. Court documents say he was cordial and open to speaking with the detectives until they brought up the victim’s name. Shelby then changed his demeanor and declined to speak without an attorney.
Shelby is being held in the Calloway County Jail. His bond is $20,000, according to court records.
The investigation remains open, and anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call state police Post 1 at 270-856-3721.
A new law went into effect this summer that requires all Kentucky public school districts to implement a traceable communications platform that will serve as the only method for a teacher to contact a student electronically.
The law came after several incidents of inappropriate sexual communication involving school staff and students in Kentucky have led to criminal charges in recent years.
