A St. James woman is out of jail on a $100,000 surety bond, awaiting a scheduled Nov. 20 hearing on allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor according to an amended felony complaint filed by Maries County and posted Oct. 23 to Missouri Case.net.

Rikki Lyn Laughlin, 25, of St. James — a St. James R-1 special education teacher according to her Facebook page — was arrested on Oct. 20 and served with an arrest warrant around 7 p.m. on Oct. 21 by the Maries County Sheriff’s Department on allegations of:

• possession of child pornography - first offense (felony D);

• tamper or attempt to tamper with a victim in a felony prosecution (felony D);

• attempted statutory rape - second degree (felony D);

• promoting obscenity - first degree;

• tampering with physical evidence in felony prosecution (felony E); and

• furnishing pornographic material or attempting to furnish to a minor (misdemeanor A).

Conditions of the bond include no contact with minors unless they are blood relation and no contact with the victim. Confirmation that the bond was served was posted on Oct. 24 to Case.net.

Charges filed by Maries County Prosecutor Anthony Skouby on Oct. 21 allege incidents between Laughlin and a male student, 16, occurred between Sept. 8 and Oct. 19, 2023, in Phelps County.

Maries County Detective Dale Harp investigated the case and interviewed both witnesses according to the probable cause statement.

“On Oct. 19, 2023, Maries County Chief Deputy, Major, Scott John received a call from Phelps County’s Detective Grey in reference to a possible inappropriate relationship that was reported by the (redacted) High School R-1 School District,” according to the probable cause statement.

An investigation revealed Laughlin had been sending alleged pornographic videos of her to a student.”

The male student was interviewed on Oct. 20 at his residence in Maries County, according to the report.

“During the interview, (the male) did disclose that Laughlin reached out to him on Snapchat and things progressed fast. He stated that they even kissed while in the classroom of the school,” according to the charging document.

The male also said Laughlin had invited him to her house for sexual intercourse a couple of times.

“He informed me that during his conversations with Laughlin, she stated she wanted to have sexual intercourse with him; going as far as to invite him to her house on Oct. 14 because her husband was not home,” Harp wrote. “The male made several excuses for not meeting with Laughlin because he did not feel comfortable with the meet.”

The male said Laughlin “asked him for photos of his penis and he did send two via Snapchat” on two separate occasions. Additionally, Harp wrote that Laughlin acknowledged receipt of the messages, now labeled Child Sexual Assault Material (CSAM) photographs. The male said Laughlin did tell him to “delete the videos and the photographs from his phone because people at school were talking about them being in contact on Snapchat and that she could get jail time for what she was doing.”

The male was able to access his Snapchat account from his phone and show Harp pictures and videos that Laughlin sent of her exposing herself and masturbating, according to the probable cause statement.

Harp also interviewed Laughlin on Oct. 20 at her residence, in the 14000 block of State Route BB. Laughlin was read, and verbally waved, her Miranda Rights.

“I informed Laughlin there were allegations about her having an inappropriate relationship with a student,” Harp said in the probable cause statement. “At first Laughlin denied the allegation, but after a few minutes, did tell me she was on Snapchat with the student, but he initiated first contact.”

Laughlin was informed by the detective that, “receiving naked photos of children is illegal.”

“Laughlin stated to me that she had shut the issue down multiple times with the male,” Harp said. “I explained to Laughlin that the videos and photographs sent to the student were sent to a minor.”

Laughlin told Harp, “I was not aware he was a minor until yesterday,” before she asked, “So what happens?”

Harp said the photos were against the law because they constituted as child sexual assault material, even though Laughlin claims she did not ask for the photographs.

“Not once did Laughlin deny sending or receiving the photographs in question,” Harp said.

Laughlin ended the interview with Harp by asking for an attorney before she answered more questions. Harp placed Laughlin under arrest and confiscated her cellphone. She was taken to the Maries County Jail and granted the opportunity to speak with her attorney there.

After giving the Maries County Sheriff’s Department written consent to search her phone, a phone extraction via the department’s Cellebrite software discovered three videos of Laughlin in previously described compromising positions.

According to the report, “This does collaborate with what the male described in the videos he received from Laughlin.”

According to Deputy Major John, his department was contacted on Oct. 19 by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department to assist with an investigation since the victim lived in Maries County. The St. James R-1 School District had received allegations of an inappropriate relationship between a student and a teacher.

“As soon as the school found out about the relationship, they walked her out sometime last week and put the teacher on suspension,” John said. “She’d been placed on administrative leave as soon as the school found out about it last Wednesday.”

On Oct. 19, the St. James R-1 superintendent and high school principal met with the boy at his residence while his parents listened in over a conference call.

“We met with the school superintendent and the principal at the victim’s residence and got a statement from the victim,” John said. “However, we told him we would come back when his parents were available.”

The district reached out to students and families on Oct. 21 with an email letting them know a staff member had been arrested.

“It was vague,” John said. “They just said a staff member had been arrested and the school took all precautions to ensure staff and student safety and were cooperating with police.”

An amended felony complaint was filed by Skouby’s office on Oct. 23 to include a seventh charge of sexual trafficking of a child, second degree, child under 18 years of age. The charge is punishable upon conviction with a minimum of 10 to 25 years of imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine. Laughlin is scheduled to appear at 9 a.m. on Nov. 20 in Judge John D. Beger’s courtroom for a bond appearance hearing.