A former Graves County Middle School teacher who was arrested on accusations of grooming one of her district’s students in August is no longer facing that charge.
WPSD Local 6 reports that Graves County District Court Judge Scott Robbins moved to dismiss the charge of grooming a minor filed against 25-year-old Sadie Flores on Wednesday during her preliminary hearing. The outlet said the judge made the decision because he “heard no testimony that any type of sexual behavior or contact has occurred.”
Flores was arrested last month after the western Kentucky school received allegations that she had had inappropriate relationships with a student.
WPSD also reported that Flores’ contract with the Graves County School District had been terminated on Aug. 11, after the district had “substantiated the allegations” of “repeated inappropriate comments through electronic communication with a student.”
According to police documents, the parents of a 14-year-old Graves County student allegedly found multiple messages between their child and Flores. A parent also told police that they found logs of incoming FaceTime calls from Flores on their child’s phone that were made in the “late evening hours.”
In the citation, investigators also indicated that they had discovered social media messages that allegedly showed attempts from Flores to manipulate the teen and expressed feelings of love and admiration “more so than just a student-teacher relationship.” Police also say Flores and the student allegedly met in secret outside of school before a school function.
Flores was arraigned on Sept. 2, pleading not guilty to the grooming charge. Angela Troutman, an attorney representing Flores, said in a statement at the time to WPSD that the young teacher had “done nothing wrong.”
"She has devoted herself to her students and to being the kind, caring, and compassionate teacher they deserve. Her priority has always been the wellbeing, safety and success of every student entrusted to her care,” Troutman said following Flores’ arraignment. “Throughout her career, she has acted in what she sincerely believed was the best interest of her students, treating them with dignity, compassion and respect. The allegations against her do not reflect the teacher her students have come to know.
Prior to her charge’s dismissal, Flores was among the first people to be criminally charged under a state law to make grooming – which includes adults trying to entice, coerce, solicit or induce a minor to engage in sexual conduct or have a secret relationship – a crime in Kentucky. That law generally applies to adults trying to groom kids under 14 years old. But, adults in positions of authority or special trust – which, under state statute, includes teachers and coaches – can be charged with grooming if the victim is under 18.
Kentucky implemented a law last year requiring public school educators to use traceable forms of communications when talking to students – an effort lawmakers said was meant to help prevent inappropriate relationships between teachers and children at their school.
