Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Teacher Paid Young Boys for Sex

Starting point is 00:00:00 So we just want to get a chance to sit down, speak with you, and kind of figure out why all this has come up and what reasons it could be and everything like that. Sex, drugs, students, and video lead cops to pay a teaching assistant a visit. And what students told detectives about Carissa Smith would land her in major trouble. I'm going to tell you all about it. I'm Ann Jeanette Levy, and this is crime fix. There's a woman in Missouri who used to be a substitute teacher. and a teaching assistant, a paraprofessional, that's what they're called. But used to be is the key phrase there. The woman was trusted by students with children in a small town. And that trust was abused, shattered. And now Carissa Smith is doing hard time at a Missouri prison. Smith's case takes us to Pulaski County, Missouri and the small town of Dixon.

Starting point is 00:00:59 It's in the Ozarks. Smith was a substitute teacher at the Dixon School District, home of the Bulldogs. It was September 9th, 2024 when detectives with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office paid Carissa a visit. They were hearing things about her and teenage boys from the middle school. Okay, there we're going. I mean, either way you go, I mean, it's video and audio reported right now. So if you want to give us consent and provide us with the phone password, that's fine. If you want to wait and... I'm going to wait.

Starting point is 00:01:32 Okay. Understandable. figured out and this was just brought to our attention so we got to do our own investigation on it so so we just want to get a chance to sit down speak with you and kind of figure out why all this has come up and what reasons it could be and everything like that so we just found out about everything yesterday because there's nobody at Dixon anymore to work so I guess so we got kind of transferred over to us. So, and that's why we got to figure things out because we have no report,

Starting point is 00:02:24 nothing from them. All we got was a cell phone. We're right behind the courthouse. Remember where the old middle school used to be? If you go to the courthouse and just drive straight back, just right back there. It's 403 school street. Right right by the court. Yeah, so you just come to there and ask to speak with Detective Gibbs or Shootcraft and they'll get one of us and we'll have you in and out. We just got to talk to you about everything. This really isn't the place to do it, so. But that's pretty much it, and we'll be there all day.

Starting point is 00:03:06 If for some reason you can't make it or you don't want to, you can just call down there and let us know. Okay. All right. We'll wait to see you tomorrow and we'll talk to you about everything then, okay? That's fine. We're there early, so. All right. Thank you. The detectives said they were investigating a report of a crime and they wanted Carissa Smith's phone, but she wanted to wait.

Starting point is 00:03:37 But interviews with students had already appeared to have taken place by this point. A student identified as a confidential victim or CV told a story of being manipulated. by Carissa Smith. The victim said a friend asked him if he wanted to do some work and make some cash, and the friend took him to Carissa Smith's house. A probable cause affidavit stated, C.V. Number two explained approximately a year prior. They had been asked by a friend if they wanted to do some work and make some money for the work. CV number two agreed and went to Mrs. Smith's residence with the friend. While at Mrs. Smith's residence, CV number two went inside while the friend stayed outside. While inside the residence, CV number two sat on the couch in the living room. Mrs. Smith approached

Starting point is 00:04:23 CV number two and sat next to them on the couch. Mrs. Smith then began to rub CV number two's leg with her hand and propositioned them for a sexual favor. Mrs. Smith told CV number two if they had sex with her, she would pay them money. CV number two agreed to do so and was taken to Mrs. Smith's bedroom. I don't know about you, but sometimes I put off making a doctor's appointment. I know it's really bad. Maybe it's the phone anxiety. Maybe it's trying to find time to call during a busy workday or the fear of being booked months and months out or phone tag fear. That's why our sponsor, Zoc Doc, is such a game changer. Zoc Doc is a free app and website that lets you search and compare local in-network doctors. And what really helps me is being able to see actual appointment

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Starting point is 00:05:56 CV number two was asked if this had happened one time or more than one time. CV number two stated she had picked them and a friend up from their residence after she asked to hang out. CV number two stated Mrs. Smith had dropped their friend off at a residence and then drove to a river. CV number two stated they had driven through a field to where they could see the river. Mrs. Smith offered CV number two approximately $110 and marijuana for sexual intercourse. CV number two stated Mrs. Smith attempted to kiss them, but CV number two stopped her and stated, I wasn't into like kissing and everything.

Starting point is 00:06:34 The teen described more sexual encounters with Carissa Smith. The affidavit continues, CV number two was asked what happened after. CV number two stated Mrs. Smith let them drive her vehicle and then went to a business, which they identified as high profile in Rala, Missouri, where Mrs. Smith purchased marijuana and a grinder, an item commonly used to prepare the consumption of marijuana and a dab pen. An item used for the consumption of a THC oil derivative and provided it to CV number two. CV number two then stated Mrs. Smith dropped them off at their residence, where they smoked the marijuana and went to sleep.

Starting point is 00:07:10 CV number two was asked by the interviewer if Mrs. Smith had told them not to talk about their encounters. CV number two stated Mrs. Smith had stated in the first incident, she told them not to talk about it or else she would get into trouble and they agreed. CV number two stated after the second incident, Mrs. Smith stated, you know you can't talk about this with anybody and they agreed. And what teenager doesn't like McDonald's? Along with marijuana, there were fast food runs. CV number two was asked if Mrs. Smith and them had hung out again after that incident. CV number two stated yes, they had spent time together approximately six to seven times after. CV number two was asked to describe another time in which they spent time with Mrs. Smith. CV number two stated they had ridden in Mrs. Smith's vehicle and smoked with Mrs. Smith and her friend Lacey.

Starting point is 00:08:03 It was previously learned Mrs. Smith had a friend by the name of Lacey who was a former school nurse for the Dixon School district, Mrs. Smith had eventually dropped Lacey off at Lacey's residence. Mrs. Smith's husband later identified as Michael Smith was at home with Mrs. Smith's children, so she had taken CV No. 2 to McDonald's and purchased CV No. 2 food and then took him home. Now, you might be wondering, what evidence backs up CV2's claims? Well, he claimed that Carissa Smith paid him by a cash app. The interviewer asked CV. Number 2 if there was a time in which Mrs. Smith paid them in another form of currency other than cash. C.V. Number two stated Mrs. Smith had sent them money over an application known as cash app. C.V. number two was asked to describe the time

Starting point is 00:08:49 in which that had occurred. C. V. number two explained Mrs. Smith had sent them $10 over the application so C.V. number two could purchase some marijuana in which they did. C.V. number two was asked if they had observed this happen with anybody else. C.V. number two stated they had not observed it. but had heard other people state it had happened to them. The interviewer asked CV number two to explain that in which CV number two stated another juvenile and CV number one had said it happened to them. CV number two stated they knew Mrs. Smith had offered it to a couple other people but didn't know who.

Starting point is 00:09:26 The interviewer asked CV number two, what helps them know she had offered it to other people? CV number two stated their friends had told them. CV2 told detectives that Carissa Smith told him that he didn't have to worry about her becoming pregnant because she had had her tubes tied. And the encounters with her happened when her husband was away, shoeing horses. Now back to the affidavit. The interviewer asked CV2 about the times in which Mrs. Smith had picked them up from their residence and asked what vehicle Mrs. Smith would pick them up in. CV number two stated, I think it's a Yukon. It's either a Yukon or Tahoe.

Starting point is 00:10:01 It's a newer one. CV number two described it as being white in color and usually dirty due to Mrs. Smith living on a dirt road. CV number two continued to state they knew Mrs. Smith's husband drove a couple trucks in a van and that they owned side-by-sides, utility terrain vehicles. CV-number two stated Mrs. Smith would let them drive their four-wheelers and side-by-sides while at her residence. Throughout the investigation, detectives said they identified a total of five confidential victims. 5. CV5 explained Ms. Smith had asked CV number 5 if they wanted to have sex in which CV5 declined due to being in a relationship. CV. Number 5 continued to state after their girlfriend had broken up with them, they had sexual intercourse with Ms. Smith the first time. CV.

Starting point is 00:10:51 number five stated they were sitting on the couch with Ms. Smith. CV5 continued to state that they had sexual intercourse. CV5 was asked if anyone had shown them. them any inappropriate images of naked individuals. CV number five stated he had been shown a video of Mrs. Smith performing a sex act on CB2. CV number five stated the juvenile in a video had shown them the video. CV number five continued by saying their ex-girlfriend still had possession of that video. A grand jury indicted Carissa Smith on 19 felony counts including sexual trafficking of a student under 18, nine counts of statutory rape, three counts of sexual conduct with a student, along with hindering prosecution and patronizing prostitution with a child 14 years or younger.

Starting point is 00:11:38 Smith pleaded guilty to lesser charges, and she is serving a 10-year sentence. So I thought we should bring in John a spillboard to really dissect this case. She's the host of positively legal on the MK True Crime Network and also a criminal defense attorney, Johna, thanks for coming back. Thanks for having me. John, you know, you and I have talked about these teachers over the years so many times. And one of the things that really gets me about this case is the fact that we have this woman who graduated from being a sub and then she goes on to be a long-term sub and then a paraprofessional. And really the allegation here, which was she pleaded guilty to, she's looking at one victim and then getting a victim of hers to recruit other victims. So we had a total of five victims in this case where she's buying the marijuana and having sex with them. That was the big difference to me when I was doing my homework on this case is that

Starting point is 00:12:40 she is a serial pedophile. When historically, when we look at these teacher student cases, which far too many of them, right, they just seem to happen from time to time. When we look at them, usually we see kind of a not like a monogamous teacher-student relationship, but it's not a teacher who has multiple victims. This was different to me for that reason. Unlike, you know, one of the most famous cases historically, Mary Kay LaTerno, ended up marrying her victim and having a family with her victim. I think she's now dead.

Starting point is 00:13:16 Deborah LaFave, she was the pretty blonde. Again, she didn't have multiple victims. This woman was just racking them. up and and to me that was a critical fact that differentiated this case from so many others that we've seen. And that's, you know, they're all disturbing for their own reasons. But what really got me about this was the fact that she was using another student to recruit other students. And as you mentioned, it's so many of them. And I, it boggles my mind because I'm thinking to myself, you're right a lot of times they are honed in on one student one and that's bad enough but in this

Starting point is 00:14:00 there's videotapes circulating of this stuff you know she's recorded the one victim CV2 and then that video was circulated other kids saw it I I just don't get where this where this comes from No, she's very twisted. And the aggravating factors are why, and those being, multiple victims, plying them with drugs and alcohol, et cetera. That's why she got a pretty tough sentence, 10 years, as opposed to, and I did it, just took a trip down memory lane. Mary Kayla Turner, when she was sentenced, her 7.5 years sentence was suspended. She wasn't going to get any time behind bars. Then she violated the orders of protection, I think, by marrying her victim.

Starting point is 00:14:49 So she ended up doing 7.5 years. Deborah LaFabe, same thing. She served three years of house arrest. So she didn't do any prison time. But Carissa Smith, a decade behind bars, and I'm going to say it's well deserved based on these facts because they are more, they're certainly not mitigating. They are aggravated compared to similar cases we've seen historically. And it does seem like 10 years is a really long time. And we really don't know the age of these students. But some of the things that were so disturbing to me about this is the fact that, I mean, she's encouraging them. And just the things that these students were saying, and some of them I can't even repeat here because they were so graphic. But she's telling them, you know, she can't get pregnant because she's had her tubes tied. And then encouraging.

Starting point is 00:15:43 these boys to, you know, finish off the sexual encounter in the way that she wants them to. One of them said at one time she wouldn't even let them get up. She wrapped her legs around the kid. That's a kind of pathology that I'm not really, I don't see with a lot of these other student sex cases. Yeah, exactly. Some of the other ones were more like very inappropriate relationships, but, you know, more like one-on-one relationships,

Starting point is 00:16:16 which again, completely inappropriate, but different from this. This is really above and beyond. And the fact that that's the other thing, she didn't try to hide it digitally, right? Photos, text, all that, like that evidence is preserved. So she was almost hiding in plain sight, for lack of a better word.

Starting point is 00:16:39 And again, she was another defendant who was also married. which some of these teacher-student relationships end up having in common. And they're cheating on their husbands with an underage student. Again, not all there, I imagine. Yeah, and she certainly was cheating on her husband, of course. You know, that's the least of her problems, but like the husband's out of town, shoeing horses and she's getting these kids, also paying them. That's another aspect of this, Jana, paying these kids, not only buying the marijuana and alcohol, but paying them via cash app. Where do you, in your experience, see that coming from? So, you know, I don't. I don't get that. And that's one of the reasons why she actually ended up,

Starting point is 00:17:30 if you think about it. Nobody says, oh, 10 years, sweet deal. But she was, I think she had like 19 charges initially. Yes. And she only pled to a fraction in them. And part of those charges, included prostitution, probably because of the money exchange. And it's very weird because I don't know why she felt the need to pay them, but that's just another level of her psychosis and not legal psychosis. Like she didn't present that as a defense. She's just a twisted individual who should have never. And sidebar, we talk about this a lot.

Starting point is 00:18:02 When you have this teacher-student kind of relationship, how does it go under the radar for so long in these cases? where nobody ever expects it or sees it. I don't get that part of it. But, and I don't know what we can do to prevent that as a society to keep, you know, the pedophiles out of our classrooms. But we should, we got to do better. We have to do better.

Starting point is 00:18:25 And another part of this, Jana, is the fact that it, it's a small town. I mean, this was Pulaski County, Missouri, small town of Dixon. So you've got a small school district where maybe people, I don't know, know, maybe they're a little more trusting and just didn't know that this woman was going to basically prey on students within the school district. That's true. And keep in mind, you know, we see historically a lot of when the, when the defendant, the perpetrator is a woman and the victim is a male, they tend to sometimes get a little bit of lighter treatment than if it were vice versa. And I'm not so sure that's a great idea either. You know, these kids were.

Starting point is 00:19:11 victimized for sure. Yeah, they certainly were victimized. Just the verbiage that these kids used, too, which we haven't even shared some of that. It's so graphic and beyond the pale in quoting what she said to them as well. Oh, yeah. It was very, you know, X-rated. I mean, very like she was starring her own porno with these kids, but treating them like they were. adults, it's it, it was bizarre. It's very bizarre and sickening. Well, 10 years, a stiff sentence. She's in the middle, really at the beginning of that prison sentence. And so she's going to have to have this resonating with her, staying with her for the rest of her life, major consequences. Janis Spilbore, thank you so much for coming on. I appreciate it as always.

Starting point is 00:20:05 Thank you. Carissa Smith is in the beginning of that 10-year prison sentence. She'll have to register as a sex offender when she is released. Child sex abuse can be and should be reported to any local law enforcement agency and there's a national hotline. The number is 1-800-4-22-4-4-5-3. And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Ann Janette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.

Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Teacher Paid Young Boys for Sex

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