In a shocking case out of St. James, Missouri, a 25-year-old special education teacher has been charged with sending explicit videos and messages to a 16-year-old student, as well as inviting him to her home for sexual encounters. Rikki Laughlin, who is married and has a young daughter, was arrested following an investigation by the Maries County Sheriff's Office.

The investigation was launched after a tip was called in about an inappropriate relationship between Laughlin and the student. Detective Dale Harp met with the student, who described how Laughlin had pursued him and attempted to seduce him. According to the teen, their relationship had progressed quickly after Laughlin reached out to him on Snapchat. They even kissed in the classroom, the teen revealed.

The teen further explained that Laughlin had requested nude photos from him on multiple occasions, and he complied. In return, she sent him graphic photos and videos of herself engaged in sexual acts. The teen claimed that Laughlin had invited him to her home for intercourse on October 14, as her husband was out of town. However, he made several excuses and did not feel comfortable going through with it.

Rumors began circulating at the small school, prompting Laughlin to instruct the teen to delete all the explicit material they had shared. The teen still retained one photo of Laughlin exposing her breast, and he turned it over to Detective Harp. On the same day, the detective interviewed Laughlin at her home, where she lives with her husband and infant daughter.

Initially, Laughlin admitted to communicating with the student on Snapchat but claimed that he had initiated the contact and she had shut it down multiple times. However, when Detective Harp informed her that he was aware of the explicit photos and videos, Laughlin changed her defense. She now stated that she was not aware the student was a minor until recently.

Detectives later discovered pornographic videos on Laughlin's cellphone. As a result, she is facing numerous charges, including possession of child pornography, tampering, attempted statutory rape, sexual exploitation of a minor, sex trafficking a child, and furnishing pornographic materials to a minor.

Laughlin was released on a $100,000 bond, according to court records. Her attorney, Timothy Cisar, declined to comment on the case. Meanwhile, the school district has taken the matter seriously and immediately placed Laughlin on leave. Superintendent Tim Webster stated that the district reported the allegations to appropriate outside agencies and has been actively cooperating with law enforcement since the initial report.

"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," Superintendent Webster emphasized.

This disturbing case has sent shockwaves through the St. James community, as parents and students grapple with the betrayal of trust by a teacher in a position of authority. As the legal proceedings unfold, the hope is that justice will be served for the victim and that measures will be taken to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.