Laurel school official arrested on sex abuse charges

A Laurel County schools employee turned himself in at the detention center Monday following his indictment on sex-related charges involving at 15-year-old and an 18-year-old

Charles "Doug" Phelps, 53, the school system’s director of pupil personnel, has been charged with three counts of first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of third-degree unlawful transaction with a minor.

According to the indictment, two of the sexual abuse charges along with the unlawful transaction charge involve the 15-year-old, while the other sexual abuse charge involves the 18-year-old. The incidents allegedly happened on Nov. 3 and Nov. 5.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Don Trosper, public affairs officer at Post 11 in London, said the complaint was initially called in to London Police, then turned the investigation over to the state police.

Phelps was placed on administrative leave by the Laurel County Board of Education when the complaint was made, and remains on leave.

KSP Detective Tracy Haynes conducted the investigation and presented the findings to a Laurel County Grand Jury, which returned the indictment Friday.

Trooper Michelle Lunsford served the arrest warrant on Phelps about 6:30 p.m. Monday. He was released from the detention center within 30 minutes after posting a $15,000 cash bond.

Trosper said sexual abuse charges may stem from a variety of things, noting that a minor cannot legally consent to sex with an adult.

Trosper said he did not have any information on whether the alleged victims were students in the Laurel County School System.