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Former Missouri Substitute Teacher Sentenced to 10 Years for Paying Students for Sex

Carissa Smith, a 30-year-old former substitute teacher at Dixon Middle School in Missouri, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual contact with a student and one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Investigators say Smith paid underage students with cash or CashApp and sometimes supplied alcohol or marijuana in exchange for sex, sent nude images through Snapchat, and arranged encounters at her home or in her car. A $250,000 warrant led to her arrest earlier in November.

The sentence includes six years for the endangering charge and two years for each sexual contact count. Victim support resources are available for those affected.

05:06 AM, 11/24/2025Society
Former Missouri Substitute Teacher Sentenced to 10 Years for Paying Students for Sex

Carissa Smith, 30, a former substitute teacher at Dixon Middle School in Missouri, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Nov. 19 after pleading guilty in September to two counts of sexual contact with a student and one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

The sentence was handed down following a plea that resolved three specific counts; court records indicate Smith originally faced a broader set of felony allegations. The prison term includes six years for the endangering-the-welfare charge and two years for each sexual contact conviction.

According to law enforcement statements and a probable cause affidavit, several underage students reported that Smith paid them in cash or via CashApp and, on some occasions, provided alcohol or marijuana in exchange for sex. Investigators say she sent nude images to at least one student via Snapchat before engaging in sexual contact, and that she arranged encounters by picking students up from their homes and meeting them at her house or in her car.

Authorities issued a $250,000 warrant for Smith on Nov. 8; she was arrested several days later and held at the Pulaski County Detention Center. Victims told investigators she attempted to intimidate them to prevent reporting of the encounters.

The district superintendent described the allegations as deeply disturbing for the school community. The case has prompted criminal prosecution and community concern, and it serves as a stark example of an educator abusing a position of trust.

Resources for victims

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse in the United States, you can reach a certified crisis counselor by texting STRENGTH to 741-741.

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