- The former high school reading teacher submitted her resignation in August
- She pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree sexual abuse, lascivious acts with a child and distribution and exhibition of obscene material to minors
A former Iowa teacher accused of sexually assaulting three students between the ages of 13 and 14 has pleaded guilty to all six charges.
Cassidy Kraus, 24, entered a guilty plea on Monday. She was charged with one count of third-degree sexual abuse, two counts of lascivious acts with a child and three counts of distribution and exhibition of obscene material to minors.
The Westside woman’s arrest occurred in October, just months after her wedding in July. She posted $10,000 bail and was subsequently released from jail.
The charges stem from incidents that occurred in 2022 and again in 2023, starting with the high school reading teacher who sent “obscene material” to three minors via Snapchat.
According to the indictment, Kraus “knowingly distributed obscene material” to one victim between January 2022 and May 2022 and to two other victims between January 2023 and June 2023.
Cassidy Kraus, 24, pleaded guilty to six charges stemming from the sexual abuse of three students between the ages of 13 and 14
The former high school reading teacher was arrested in October, just months after marrying her husband (pictured)
Kraus was charged with one count of third-degree sexual abuse, two counts of lascivious acts with a child and three counts of distribution and exhibition of obscene material to minors.
Kraus then went a step further by “fondling or touching” a 13-year-old in May 2022 and “touching (her) genitals to any part of the child’s body.”
The third-degree sexual abuse charge stemmed from “performing sexual acts” with a 14-year-old between January 17 and January 31, 2023.
As part of her duties as a teacher, the 24-year-old was a “mandatory child abuse reporter,” according to the complaint.
According to a statement from the school district, a report was prepared in August of the same year alleging that Kraus had sent sexually charged photos to students.
She was placed on leave due to an investigation in collaboration with local police.
Kraus submitted her resignation on August 25 in lieu of her resignation.
Three days later, the IKM-Manning school board approved her dismissal during a special meeting.
The 24-year-old was present school in the district where she later taught and committed the crimes.
The counts stemmed from the abuse of three teenage students between 2022 and 2023, beginning when Kraus sent sexually explicit Snapchats to a minor victim
She pleaded guilty to “fondling or touching” a 13-year-old in May 2022 and performed “sexual acts” on a 14-year-old in January the following year
Kraus herself was a student in the IKM-Manning School District, where she later taught and committed the crimes
She ran track for the IKM-Manning Wolves and appeared in a video in 2017, beaming after finishing third in her events.
After graduating, Kraus attended Iowa State University and made the dean’s list several times during her academic career.
The count of sexual abuse and the two counts of lascivious acts with a child are Class C felonies. Under state law, each faces up to 10 years in prison.
The three charges of distribution and exhibition of obscene material, a misdemeanor, carry a possible prison sentence of one year.
Kraus faces a maximum prison sentence of 33 years. The hearing on the ruling is scheduled for March 11.