Judge: No bond in sex case- Former Nixa principal is "danger to the community"

Former Nixa Assistant Junior High Principal Colby Fronterhouse will be held in the Greene County Jail without bond while awaiting trial on charges of sexual exploitation of a child and sending and receiving child pornography.

U. S. District Court Judge David P. Rush issued the ruling during a detention hearing this morning in Springfield.

According to the detention motion, which was filed February 1, Fronterhouse pretended to be a Kickapoo High School student named Lacey Jones while enticing one of his students, a 13-year-old boy, to send him nude photos.

Judge Rush explained the ruling in his detention order:

The Court has already noted that this case involves a minor victim. The evidence at the detention hearing established that the weight of the evidence against the defendant is overwhelming. 

Regarding potential danger to the community, the Court notes the nature of the instant offense and that the charge involves sexual exploitation, a child, and use of text messaging to facilitate the alleged offense. 

The Court notes safety concerns for the alleged victim and the community. The evidence at the detention hearing established that the defendant enticed the minor victim through deceit to provide nude images of the minor victim. 

The defendant abused a position of trust as an Assistant Principal at Nixa Junior High School and the evidence suggests that the defendant accessed the victim’s cell phone number in the school records database. 

Based on all the foregoing, the Court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is a danger to the community.