PETAL, Miss. (WHLT) – A former Petal teacher, who received a $25,000 Milken Educator Award in 2022, is facing new charges.

Petal police arrested Tyler Shows on July 22, 2025. He was charged with child exploitation, two counts of touching a child for lustful purposes and dissemination of sexually oriented material to a minor.

According to Petal Police Chief Matthew Hiatt, the arrest was made after an investigation the department conducted. District Attorney Lin Carter said a grand jury indicted Shows on the new charges after new evidence was brought forward from Petal police.

In May 2024, Shows was arrested on sex crimes charges. Petal police said they received a report in February 2024 from the Petal School District. In the course of an internal investigation for misconduct, Petal School District officials said they discovered several instances of criminal conduct had occurred between a teacher and several minors.

Petal police said Shows had been engaged in several questionable activities that involved at least a dozen minor students. Investigators said they executed several search warrants.

On May 2, 2024, Petal police served Shows with three warrants for his arrest. He was charged with distribution of sexual materials to a minor and two counts of touching a child for lustful purposes.

Police said victim statements also suggest that Shows gave alcohol and vapes to the children.

When Shows received the Milken Educator Award two years ago, he was a fifth-grade math teacher Petal Upper Elementary School. He was place on administrative leave and later resigned.

Shows is currently being held in the Forrest County Jail.