PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. – A Missouri teacher is accused of having a sexual relationship with a student while other students allegedly served as lookouts. Authorities arrested the teacher earlier this month in Texas.
Prosecutors have charged Hailey Clifton-Carmack, 26, with four felonies in the investigation, including sexual contact with a student, second-degree statutory rape, fourth-degree child molestation, and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
According to court documents obtained by NewsNation affiliate FOX 2, Clifton-Carmack was a teacher at Laquey High School in Pulaski County, and she had sexual contact with a student at the school sometime between Nov. 1 and Dec. 23 last year. The victim was 16 years old.
Per court documents, one confidential witness informed police of something suspicious after the victim showed photographs “of their back with scratches” and claimed the scratches came from having sex with Clifton-Carmack. The witness also overheard a phone call between Clifton-Carmack and the victim.
On Dec. 8, police issued a search warrant for Clifton-Carmack’s phone and she handed it over to police, also denying “any kind of relationship with any students outside of school.” An officer spoke to Clifton-Carmack on the accusations and she stated she “never had contact” with the alleged victim outside of school. Investigators say she also did not provide the passcode to her phone during the search warrant.
On Dec. 22, an officer received an email with a PDF file of an apparent conversation on Clifton-Carmack’s phone, which reportedly showed messages between her and the victim discussing their relationship.
One day later, police received an anonymous tip that Clifton-Carmack was heading out of town to Texas. Authorities arrested her last Friday in a small town called Garden Ridge, roughly half an hour north of San Antonio.
On Jan. 3, a second confidential witness spoke to authorities on Clifton-Carmack and the alleged relationship with the student. The witness claimed he spoke to the victim’s father and the father knew about the relationship.
Per court documents, the father told the witness that Clifton-Carmack and the victim had sex while other students served as “look outs.” The witness also learned Clifton-Carmack had visited the victim’s home before she left for Texas.
Court documents also noted that Clifton-Carmack had “openly discussed her personal life with the class,” was warned by administration previously for being “too close with students,” and wanted a divorce with her husband.
Clifton-Carmack is jailed in Pulaski County on a $250,000 cash-only bond. A judge has also ordered her to not have contact with the victim and to use a GPS monitor as legal proceedings move forward.
