Maries County Special Education Teacher Facing Charges For Alleged Sexual Conduct

A 24-year-old special education teacher in the St. James School District faces half-a-dozen felony counts and one misdemeanor for alleged inappropriate conduct with a student.

Rikki Laughlin is charged with possession of child pornography, tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution, statutory rape, sexual exploitation of a minor, tampering with physical evidence in a felony, and sexual trafficking of a child under the age of 18 along with the misdemeanor for furnishing pornographic material to a minor.

A probable cause statement filed in the Maries County Courthouse indicates that Laughlin initially denied the allegations and claimed that the 16-year-old student had contacted her first on snapchat.

Laughlin has been released after posting a $100,000 bond.