Trial date set for former Lamar Middle School student teacher charged with sexual misconduct, child pornography

An April 20 trial date is scheduled in Vernon County Circuit Court for a former Lamar Middle School student teacher charged with three counts of sexual misconduct involving a child and single counts of possession of child pornography and enticement of a child.

The case is being heard in Vernon County on a change of venue from Barton County.

The charges are in connection with incidents occurring at Lamar Middle School in 2017.

The initial arrest of Edson, who was a senior at Missouri Southern State University at the time, came less than two months after she received the top award for middle school education from the School of Arts and Sciences during the annual Academic Achievement Ceremony.

The probable cause statement says a student was interviewed who said his teacher, Edson, "had asked him to have sex with her several times, would speak 'sexually.' to him and had sent him a nude photo.

The 2017 probable cause statement indicated the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force uncovered photos depicting two naked underage boys either having anal intercourse and simulating the act while executing a search warrant on Edson's phone.

The search was in connection with a separate Lamar Police Department investigation that eventually led to the new charges.