Patriot Brief
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What Happened: Former substitute teacher Carissa Smith was sentenced to ten years for exploiting minors and engaging in illegal contact with students.
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Why It Matters: She used drugs, money, and social media to target vulnerable kids, highlighting gaps in school oversight.
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Bottom Line: Parents deserve accountability and safe classrooms, not bureaucratic excuses when predators slip through.
A former long-term substitute teacher in Pulaski County, Missouri is headed to prison after admitting to a disturbing pattern of abusing students she was hired to support. Carissa Smith, 30, struck a plea deal with prosecutors on September 17 and received a ten year prison sentence on Wednesday. The deal reduced her 19 original felony charges to one count of endangering the welfare of a child and two counts of sexual contact with a student. She will serve the sentences consecutively.
🚨 ANOTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL PREDATOR EXPOSED 🚨
A former substitute teacher in the Dixon School District — Carissa Smith — just got slammed with 10 YEARS in prison after prosecutors revealed she was trading sexual favors with students for money, alcohol, and even marijuana.
This… pic.twitter.com/A1DECC6PI7
— Wienerdogwifi (@wienerdogwifi) November 23, 2025
Smith originally faced charges that included sexual trafficking of a minor, statutory rape, statutory sodomy, patronizing prostitution involving a child, and hindering prosecution. The allegations stem from her time working in the Dixon R 1 School District, where she had served as a paraprofessional and substitute since 2022. She resigned after her arrest in August 2024.
“This is very disturbing and distressing information for everyone in our school community,” Superintendent Travis Bohrer wrote to families, noting the district fully cooperated with law enforcement.
According to investigators and multiple media outlets, several students reported that Smith offered them money, marijuana, or alcohol in exchange for sex. Authorities say she communicated with students through Snapchat, arranged secret meetings in isolated areas, and attempted to conceal her actions from her husband. In one incident, a student reported her husband threatened them after she claimed she was being blackmailed. Another student said Smith destroyed their phone after learning it contained evidence.
Detectives say some victims described repeated encounters and payments through cash or electronic apps. One minor said these interactions began after Smith sent explicit images and initiated inappropriate conversations online.
The case has shaken the rural school community and renewed concerns about oversight and accountability. Families expect safe classrooms, not predators hiding behind job titles. Limited government thrives when institutions are transparent, responsible, and held to the highest standard.