Kentucky teacher arrested for allegedly grooming 14-year-old student

Sandy Flores, a 25-year-old teacher at Graves County Middle School in Kentucky, has been arrested for allegedly grooming a 14-year-old student. She is the first educator in the state to be charged under a new legal framework designed to allow authorities to file charges against individuals who attempt to approach or manipulate minors for sexual purposes before a physical assault occurs.

The arrest followed an investigation after a parent discovered messages between Flores and the student that were reportedly unrelated to school matters. Authorities allege the teacher and student met secretly before a school event and that Flores conducted nighttime FaceTime calls with the minor without parental knowledge. The Graves County Sheriff’s Office stated that Flores attempted to manipulate the minor by expressing feelings of love and admiration that exceeded a standard teacher-student relationship.