A man arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor was tried this week in Pearl River County Circuit Court.

Donnel Spriggs, 42, of Picayune was charged with one count of statutory rape and four counts of sexual battery of a minor while in a position of trust, Assistant District Attorney Lisa McGloflin said.

The trial began Monday but a mistrial was declared when a discovery came out during testimony that neither the prosecution, nor the defense were aware of, McGloflin said.

The case will begin a new trial in March under Judge Mozingo, McGloflin said.

According to previous coverage, Picayune Police arrested Spriggs on Jan. 8, 2015 after receiving a complaint from a woman stating Spriggs had assaulted her daughter.

Detectives investigated the incident and discovered the abuse had been taking place for several years, previous coverage states.

At the time of the investigation, the complainant said her daughter had recently told her about the abuse, previous coverage states.

Spriggs was released on a $100,000 bond last year.