JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A former Christian elementary school principal was sentenced on state charges for secretly videotaping and photographing students in the elementary school’s bathrooms and locker room.

Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R-Miss.) announced Norman Keith Aycock, the former principal of Bayou Academy Elementary in Cleveland, was convicted on six counts.

“Exploiting the very children with whom you are entrusted is a serious betrayal,” said Fitch. “I am grateful to my team for their hard work investigating and prosecuting this predator, as well as the Bolivar Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District, for their partnership on this case. It is my hope that closing this chapter will help the victims and their families on their journey to healing and recovery.”

On December 11, the 56-year-old was sentenced to 15 years to serve in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) on four counts of filming another with an expectation of privacy under the age of 16, one count of filming another with an expectation of privacy and one count of voyeurism.

Reports say that the investigation began after a student discovered a hidden camera in the bathroom of the girls’ locker room at Bayou Academy in January of 2022.

Police determined that Aycock was the one responsible for the camera, as well as others placed throughout the school, including the office where he met with students.

According to reports, investigators discovered Aycock filmed in the school with hidden cameras for over six years.

Last week, Aycock was sentenced to 30 years on related federal charges. His state and federal sentences will run concurrently. Aycock must also register as a sex offender upon his release.

The Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Division investigated the case, along with the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Department.