Kentucky middle school teacher arrested under new anti-grooming statute

A Graves County middle school teacher was taken into custody on a grooming charge after school officials reported alleged misconduct with a student.

Graves County Middle School teacher Sadie M. Flores, 25, of Mayfield, faced a criminal charge of grooming a minor, classified as a Class D felony under a Kentucky law enacted on July 15. The allegations were first reported to Graves County Schools, prompting the district to notify the Graves County Sheriff's Office, which launched a probe that included seizing electronic data and interviewing witnesses. Flores was interviewed on Friday afternoon and subsequently taken into custody around 3:30 p.m., initially held at the Graves County Restricted Custody Center before being transferred to a detention facility outside the county.

Sheriff Jon Hayden confirmed the investigation is still active, while Superintendent Matt Madding emphasized the district's limited ability to comment and reiterated its commitment to student safety. No further details about the student's age or the nature of the alleged relationship have been released, and authorities have not indicated whether additional charges may follow.