Former Leffen Center therapist pleads not guilty to sex charges, judge reduces bond

A former behavioral therapist at the Bill and Virginia Leffen Autism Center pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of sexual contact with a student this afternoon during a video arraignment in Jasper County Circuit Court.

Judge Joseph Hensley lowered the bond for Victoria J. S. West, 28, Joplin, from $50,000 cash only to $50,000, with 10 percent cash.

The bond includes the following conditions:

-West will be placed on house arrest with an ankle monitor and can only leave to meet with her attorney or to come to a court hearing.








-She is to have no contact with anyone under the age of 18

-She is not to possess or consume alcohol.

West told the judge she plans to hire a private attorney.

The charge against West was detailed in the probable cause statement:

On November 20, 2019 and November 29, 2019, Victoria J. S. West had sexual contact with her student at 500 S. Schifferdecker Avenue (Schifferdecker Park), Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri.

On the approximate date of November 10, 2019, Victoria West, a teacher the Bill and Virginia Leffen Autism Center provided her personal phone number to a (redacted) student, a student she was behavioral therapist for.

The student and West began communicating via phone call and text on November 12, 2019 and eventually began meeting at Schifferdecker Park starting on the date of November 15, 2019.

On November 20, 2019 and November 29, 2019, West provided the student with oral sex at Schifferdecker Park.
A Joplin Police Department news release said the student in question was 17.