A former Missouri substitute teacher has been sentenced to ten years in prison after admitting she gave middle-school students cash, alcohol, and drugs in exchange for sex.
Carissa Jane Smith, 30/31, of Dixon, Missouri — a town of about 1,200 residents roughly 130 miles southwest of St. Louis — was arrested in November 2024 on 19 felony counts, including statutory rape, sexual contact with a student, and charges related to sex trafficking of minors.
In September 2025, Smith accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to one count of endangering the welfare of a child and two counts of sexual contact with a student. The convictions carry a combined 10-year sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections:
- 6 years for endangering the welfare of a child
- 2 years each for the two sexual contact charges
A Pattern of Abuse Across the Dixon R-1 School District
According to court records and the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, the abuse occurred over roughly a one-year period beginning in late summer 2023, while Smith worked as a paraprofessional and long-term substitute across multiple schools in the Dixon R-1 School District.
Investigators say Smith:
- Paid students $100 or more, either in cash or through phone-based payment apps, for sexual acts.
- Provided marijuana and alcohol to minors in exchange for sex or to perform oral sex.
- Had sexual encounters with students at her home, in her car, and on isolated rural roads while her husband was away at work.
- Pressured one student to ejaculate inside her, offering more money when he refused.
- Told victims repeatedly not to talk about their encounters because she would “get into trouble.”
- Destroyed a student’s phone that allegedly contained a video of her performing oral sex.
One victim reported the abuse started when he was still in middle school.
Husband Misled Into Threatening Victim
Court documents say Smith lied to her husband, telling him a student was blackmailing her with video of her smoking marijuana with minors.
Believing her, the husband confronted one of the boys with a baseball bat, not realizing Smith had fabricated the story.
District Response
The Dixon School District confirmed Smith resigned in August 2024, shortly before the criminal investigation became public. She had worked in the district as a paraprofessional and a long-term substitute.
Sentence Handed Down
Smith was sentenced Wednesday, November 19, 2025 to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, closing a disturbing case that rocked the small rural community.
