High school employee charged with child sex crimes in Maries County
MARIES COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A woman who was described as an employee at a high school has been charged with several child sex crimes.
Rikki Laughlin, 25, of Saint James, was charged on Monday with possession of child pornography, tampering with a victim, second-degree statutory rape, sexual exploitation of a minor, tampering with physical evidence, furnishing pornographic material to a minor and second-degree child sex trafficking.
A warrant was issued Monday and a $100,000 bond was set. An entry of appearance was filed, according to online court records. Casenet indicates that Laughlin posted a surety bond. A bond appearance hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 20.
The probable cause statement does not detail Laughlin’s position with the high school, and redacts the name of the school, aside from “High School R-1 School District.”
According to the probable cause statement, Laughlin sent pornographic material of herself to an under-aged student through the social media application Snapchat. The child victim told law enforcement there was physical contact at the school after Laughlin reached out on the app, the statement says.
The probable cause statement says the victim told law enforcement that Laughlin invited him to her house when her husband was not home, but the victim came up with reasons for not meeting because he did not feel comfortable. The victim then told law enforcement that Laughlin told him to delete all images and videos she sent and acknowledged she could get jail time, the statement says.
Laughlin was interviewed by law enforcement on Oct. 14 and she denied the allegations, according to the statement. She allegedly said she shut down contact several times until law enforcement told her they knew about videos and photographs being sent to a minor, the statement reads. She allegedly said she didn’t know he was a minor “until yesterday.”
Laughlin allegedly asked law enforcement “So what happens?” The statement says she did not deny sending or receiving the photographs and videos.
Laughlin was then placed under arrested and was brought to the Maries County Jail, the statement reads.
