A middle school teacher in Graves County, Kentucky, has become the first person arrested under a new state law targeting grooming behavior. Sadie Flores, 25, a teacher at Graves County Middle School, was charged on Friday with grooming a minor.
The charges stem from a complaint by the parents of a student who allegedly received inappropriate communications from Flores. According to Graves County Sheriffs, Flores is accused of attempting to manipulate the minor and expressing feelings beyond a typical student-teacher relationship. Police have not disclosed the age of the alleged victim, but school officials were reportedly contacted by the parent of a 14-year-old.
The parent discovered text messages, described by authorities as not having a legitimate purpose and unrelated to school, shared between Flores and the child. The sheriff's office also stated that Flores and the student met in secret outside of school before a function, and engaged in late-night FaceTime calls of which the parents were unaware.
Flores, who married her husband, David, a machine operator, four years ago and welcomed their first child, a daughter, last year, was charged under the grooming law that took effect on July 15. The law permits law enforcement to charge individuals with grooming before any sexual assault takes place. Additionally, educators are now required to participate in grooming prevention training.
It remains unclear how long the alleged messaging between Flores and the student had been occurring before her arrest. Information regarding her court appearance and plea has not yet been made public.