ASHLAND – A former Magoffin County Schools teacher pleaded guilty to a federal charge of online enticement on Monday.
In federal court on January 12, Jason W. Back, 43, of Salyersville, was rearraigned in the case before District Judge David L. Bunning, changing his plea to “guilty” in exchange for a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office.
According to the plea agreement signed by Back, he admitted to knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing an individual under the age of 18 to engage in unlawful sexual activity; he used a means or facility of interstate commerce to do so (i.e. a cell phone and/or online messaging); and that he knew the individual was under the age of 18.
The plea agreement states that from between March 6 through 9, 2023, in Magoffin County, Back persuaded the minor to engage in sexual activity, specifying that he was a high school teacher when he engaged in a text message conversation with a 17-year-old student, sending a series of sexually explicit messages using his iPhone, including messages outline a plan to meet for unprotected sex on March 9, 2023. According to the plea agreement, the prosecution has evidence that shows Back picked up the minor and that the two had sexual intercourse in Back’s car.
The plea agreement also indicated that, through a pattern of messages sent by Back, who was in a position of authority or special trust as a teacher, enticed the minor to engage in sexual intercourse, which would constitute a charge of third-degree rape.
The statutory punishment for online enticement, which is the charge he was indicted of, is imprisonment of not less than 10 years and not more than life imprisonment, a fine of not more than $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years up to life. A mandatory special assessment of $100 applies, and Back agreed to pay that fee, and any other fees that may apply. The U.S. agreed to ask for a decrease in his offense level at sentencing based on Back’s timely notice of intent to plead guilty.
With the agreement, Back also waives his right to appeal the guilty plea and conviction, and understands he will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and maintain his sex offender registration for life.
Back is set for sentencing in the case for May 4 at 11 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Ashland, before District Judge David L. Bunning.
After the rearraignment hearing held on Monday, Back was remanded to the custody of U.S. Marshals and is currently being held at the Boyd County Detention Center.
Back was federally indicted at the same time as Jordan Cobb, 32, of Salyersville, who is also a former Magoffin County Schools teacher. Cobb was charged with online enticement and cyberstalking, but took a plea deal in October, with the U.S. attorney’s office agreeing to motion for the cyberstalking charge to be dismissed at sentencing, now set for January 30, 2026, in Ashland federal court before Chief District Judge David L. Bunning.
At last report, Cobb was remanded back to the custody of the U.S. Marshals, but his location is unknown at press time.
Local Cases Against Cobb and Back
Last year, the two were indicted by a Magoffin County grand jury in March 2025, with Cobb charged with one count of procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means (Class D felony) and one count of harassing communications (Class B misdemeanor). According to the indictment, on or about May 2, 2023, Cobb allegedly used a cellular telephone for procuring the use of a person, who was less than 18 years old at the time, in a sexual performance. On or about June 12, 2024, he allegedly, with the intent to intimidate, harass, annoy, or alarm the person, utilized social media to contact the child in a manner which caused annoyance and alarm and served no purpose of legitimate communication.
In May 2023, the SI ran a story confirming a middle school teacher reportedly had “inappropriate communication” with a high school student, and that the matter had been turned over to authorities to be investigated and any criminal prosecution. At the time of the news report, the teacher was no longer employed by Magoffin County Schools.
Cobb was arrested the same day he was indicted, held at the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, and released on a $25,000 cash bond the next day.
Also in that same May 2023 SI news story, Magoffin County Schools Superintendent Chris Meadows had confirmed to the SI that a high school teacher had been suspended without pay earlier that same year, pending an investigation, having been turned over to Kentucky State Police.
That teacher, who is no longer an employee of the school system, was also indicted in Magoffin County Circuit Court in March, with Jason Back, then 42, of Painters Lick Rd., in Salyersville, charged with two counts of third-degree rape (Class D felonies), third-degree sodomy (Class D felony), and two counts of procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means (Class D felonies).
According to the indictment, Back allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse with a 17 year old, being in a position of authority and coming into contact with the minor under 18 years old as a result of that position, with count 1 stemming from February 1 through February 28, 2023, and count 2 from March 5 through 9.
The indictment alleges Back, on or about March 5, 2023, reportedly engaged in deviant sexual intercourse with the 17 year old.
Counts 4 and 5 against Back allege he unlawfully used a cell phone for procuring the use of the minor in a sexual performance, with one dated for on or about March 6 through 9, 2023, and the other on or about March 7, 2023.
Back was arrested the same day he was indicted, held at the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, and released on a $75,000 cash bond the next day.
In their Magoffin County Circuit Court indictment cases, Cobb is set for a status hearing on February 19, 2026, and Back is set for a pretrial conference on February 19, 2026.
Neither Cobb nor Back are employed by the Magoffin County Schools District at this time.
Editor’s Note: The indictment or charge of a person by a grand jury or otherwise is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
