Former counselor pleads guilty to having sex with student

Clairyssa Lorenz
Clairyssa Lorenz

A former elementary school counselor at the Cole County R-1 School District in Russellville pleaded guilty to a second charge of having sex with a student.

Clairyssa Lorenz, 28, who also was a former assistant softball coach at the California R-1 School District, pleaded guilty to one count of felony sexual contact with a student in Cooper County court. Cooper County Judge Keith Bail accepted Lorenz's plea and placed her on five-years supervised probation. As part of her probation, Lorenz must not have any contact with the teen and serve a 120-day shock detention sentence. It is possible Lornez could do work release while in custody.

Last month, Lorenz pleaded guilty to an amended charge in connection with an investigation into her having inappropriate behavior with the same minor student in Moniteau County. Lorenz pleaded guilty to one count of felony sexual contact with a student in a hearing before Moniteau County Judge Matthew Hamner. She had been charged with second-degree statutory rape and sexual contact with a student in that case.

The male victim told Moniteau County sheriff's deputies in February that Lorenz had sexual intercourse with him on multiple occasions in June and July 2017, when he was 16.

Cooper County authorities filed a charge after the teen said he and Lorenz had a sexual encounter at her home in Cooper County during the same time period.

The teen said Lorenz was fully aware of his age, according to the probable cause statement. Authorities said they discovered Lorenz and the teen had been communicating via cellphones numerous times during the period in which he said their relationship took place.