A former principal at a Missouri Christian boarding school is accused of abusing a student

Associated Press

A former principal at a Christian boarding school in Missouri that closed in March amid abuse allegations has been charged with sex crimes involving a former student. Court records show that Craig Wesley Smith Jr. was charged in September with forcible sodomy and attempted forcible rape. He is accused of forcing a teenage girl to perform sex acts in the late 2000s when she was a student at Lighthouse Christian Academy in Piedmont. Smith faces a court hearing on Thursday. Messages were left Tuesday with Smith and his attorney. ABM Ministries operated the school, which claimed success in helping students who were troubled, learning-impaired or dealing with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or other disorders.