Teacher, 24, faces jail for ‘sending explicit photos' to pupil, 16, and ‘inviting him over for sex while husband was away'
27 October 2023, 00:15 | Updated: 27 October 2023, 01:49
A female teacher faces time behind bars after she allegedly sent nudes to a student and invited him over for sex while her husband was out of town.
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Rikki Lynn Laughlin, 24, allegedly sent the explicit photos to a boy at St. James High School in Missouri, according to the Maries County Sheriff's Department.
Laughlin faces six felony charges as she’s accused of pursuing the 16-year-old, sending him pornographic images and soliciting photos from him.
Exchanges between Laughlin and the pupil took place predominantly over Snapchat.
The 16-year-old reportedly told police that they had kissed and things had “progressed fast” after she first contacted him on Snapchat.
He also alleged she invited him over to her home for sex while her husband was out of town.
He said he made excuses not to go over to her house because he “did not feel comfortable”, according to the detective’s report.
Officials launched an investigation after receiving a tip from a detective about an inappropriate relationship at the school.
Laughlin reportedly told the student to delete the images they had exchanged after pupils at the school had begun to talk, as she said she could go to jail for sharing the images and videos.
Police later interviewed Laughlin, who did not deny she had been speaking to the student over Snapchat, but did claim that he had initiated the conversation.
She said she had not been “aware” he was a minor until the day before the interview. The age of consent in Missouri is 17 years old.
She gave police permission to search through her phone, when the detective found a video similar to one that had been described by the 16-year-old.
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Laughlin was charged with possession of child porn, tampering with a victim, attempted statutory rape, sexual exploitation of a minor, tampering with physical evidence and sexual trafficking of a child, as well as a misdemeanor count of furnishing pornographic materials to minors, according to reports.
“The District takes these matters seriously and reported allegations to appropriate outside agencies, including law enforcement,” school district Superintendent Tim Webster said.
“Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our students, and we do not tolerate any policy or law violations within our educational community.”
A court hearing has been set for November 20.
