> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.shayinformed.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Grand jury indicts Graves County teacher, adds tampering charge to grooming case - URL: https://www.shayinformed.com/grand-jury-indicts-graves-county-teacher-adds-tampering-charge-to-grooming-case/ - Published: 2026-09-23T15:55:11.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-23T16:29:57.000Z - Author: Shay McAlister - Tags: Covering Kentucky Sadie Flores now faces two charges- grooming and tampering with physical evidence- following Tuesday's grand jury indictment. --- *I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity.* *Are you new here?* [*Sign up*](https://www.shayinformed.com/#/portal/signup) *for the free weekly newsletter or subscribe to support the mission and access in-depth investigations, exclusive interviews, and podcasts reserved for paid subscribers.* --- According to the Graves County Commonwealth's Attorney's office, 25-year-old teacher Sadie Flores was indicted on new charges Tuesday. Online court records show two charges: the original Grooming a Minor charge, and a new charge of Tampering with Physical Evidence. The tampering charge is a significant development. It wasn't part of the original citation from last month, and it raises a new question: what evidence, and when? Tampering with physical evidence typically involves an allegation that someone destroyed, altered, concealed, or removed something relevant to an investigation- but at this point, court records don't specify what that evidence is or when investigators say the tampering occurred. It's a reminder of something Sheriff Jon Hayden and Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Powers had both told me directly: this investigation never stopped after the initial charge was dismissed at the preliminary hearing earlier this month. [Kentucky’s new grooming law hits its first legal test- and fails to clear itThe dismissal comes despite a citation describing secretive messages, late-night FaceTime calls, and a meeting kept from parents. “I’m Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. Are you new here? Sign up for the free![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/19/8c19890d-f21a-4442-8055-5db9783cac58/content/images/icon/Profile-Pic_2-copy-5c56569b-3ec5-403c-8baa-53a57a0d7481.png)Shay InformedShay McAlister![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/19/8c19890d-f21a-4442-8055-5db9783cac58/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-09-10-at-9.03.47---PM-804f3760-01aa-4d55-bbcf-1708f97d260b.png)](https://www.shayinformed.com/kentuckys-new-grooming-law-hits-its-first-legal-test-and-fails-to-clear-it/) Detectives kept reviewing evidence. Powers said all along he believed the case had what it needed to move forward- and Tuesday's indictment, now with an added charge, suggests the grand jury agreed there was more here than what a judge saw at that earlier hearing. According to court records, Flores was arraigned on Tuesday after the grand jury concluded. She is expected back in court in December. ## Quick recap, for anyone just catching up Flores was [arrested last month on a Grooming a Minor charge under House Bill 4](https://www.shayinformed.com/middle-school-teacher-arrested-under-kentuckys-new-grooming-law-one-day-into-the-new-school-year/), Kentucky's new grooming law that had only been in effect a few weeks at the time. The original citation alleged secretive messaging with a 14-year-old student, late-night FaceTime calls parents said they didn't know about, and a meeting kept hidden from school officials. A judge dismissed that charge at the preliminary hearing, citing a lack of probable cause presented that day. But because the dismissal was without prejudice, prosecutors retained the ability to bring the case back- which they did, through the grand jury process. [Grand jury to hear Graves County grooming case Tuesday- here’s what’s at stakeA western Kentucky prosecutor is doubling-down on a case that is setting the tone for how a new law will or won’t work in the commonwealth. “I’m Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/19/8c19890d-f21a-4442-8055-5db9783cac58/content/images/icon/Profile-Pic_2-copy-d8f22906-b8e5-461f-aa7f-2fe4e8031d6d.png)Shay InformedShay McAlister![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/19/8c19890d-f21a-4442-8055-5db9783cac58/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-09-14-at-3.26.27---PM-2-eed9298a-50f9-4d0d-9c33-7775caf7d2a5.png)](https://www.shayinformed.com/grand-jury-to-hear-graves-county-grooming-case-tuesday-heres-whats-at-stake/) Kentucky Rep. Marianne Proctor (R), who sponsored House Bill 4, told me she believed the initial dismissal stemmed from a misinterpretation of the law- specifically, a mistaken belief that grooming requires proof of sexual contact, which she said the statute was deliberately written not to require. ## What to watch next With the indictment now filed and a tampering charge added, this case has clearly escalated rather than faded. I'll be following the status hearing in December and will continue reporting as more details about the tampering charge- including what evidence is at issue- become available. *Like what you see? Learn more about Shay Informed* [*here*](https://www.shayinformed.com/welcome-to-shay-informed/)*! This is honest journalism with compassion and clarity.*