Photo: Maries County Sheriff's Office
Rikki Lynn Laughlin, the married 25-year-old former Missouri teacher accused of sending nude photos and videos of herself to a minor, who she propositioned for sex while her husband was away from home pleaded guilty to sending explicit content, but avoided jail time for harsher charges.
Laughlin, 26, pleaded guilty to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child creating substantial risk (first offense) no sexual conduct last Thursday (July 24), according to KRGC. The former special education teacher admitted to sending X-rated photos and a video to the 16-year-old student on Snapchat, as well as soliciting nude photos of the boy to attempt to pressure him into having sex, however, had charges of statutory rape and sex trafficking of a child dropped.
The teenager reportedly told police that "things progressed fast" after the two interacted on Snapchat and that he had kissed Laughlin, but "made excuses" when she invited him to have sex because "he did not feel comfortable," according to a probable cause statement by the Maries County Sheriff's Office. An investigation into the alleged actions was launched by local authorities after receiving a tip from a Phelps County detective on October 19, 2023.
Laughlin reportedly told the teen to delete the explicit material, specifically mentioning that she could go to jail, after people at the school were reportedly talking about the incident. The teenager provided some of the images to a detective during the investigation.
Laughlin admitted to having communicated with the student over Snapchat when interviewed by police but claimed he had started the conversation and that she was not "aware" he was a minor until the day before speaking to officers, as the age of consent in Missouri is 17. She then reportedly allowed police to search her cell phone and officers found a video similar to what the student had described.
St. James R-1 School District Superintendent Tim Webster told KSDK that a teacher was "immediately escorted from school property and placed on leave pending investigation" but didn't mention Laughlin by name.
“The District takes these matters seriously and reported allegations to appropriate outside agencies, including law enforcement,” Webster said. “Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our students, and we do not tolerate any policy or law violations within our educational community."