> ## 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 to hear Graves County grooming case Tuesday- here's what's at stake - URL: https://www.shayinformed.com/grand-jury-to-hear-graves-county-grooming-case-tuesday-heres-whats-at-stake/ - Published: 2026-09-21T19:20:58.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-21T19:20:58.000Z - Author: Shay McAlister - Tags: Covering Kentucky A 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.* *Are you new here?* [*Sign up*](https://www.shayinformed.com/#/portal/signup) *for the free weekly newsletter or subscribe to support our mission and access behind-the-scenes content, podcasts, and in-depth stories reserved for paid subscribers.* --- Kentucky's brand-new grooming law faces its next test Tuesday, when a Graves County grand jury will hear evidence in the case against Sadie Flores, the Graves County Middle School teacher whose grooming charge was dismissed weeks ago at a preliminary hearing. The grand jury presentation marks the next chapter in a case that's become a closely watched test of House Bill 4\. The law took effect just weeks before Flores' arrest and is aimed at letting prosecutors intervene in manipulative, predatory behavior before it escalates into sexual abuse. Flores was arrested last month on a charge of Grooming a Minor, a Class D felony. According to the original citation, the case began when the Graves County School Board was contacted by the parent of a 14-year-old student, after the parent went through the child's phone and found messages with Flores investigators say were "not of a legitimate purpose and were not school-related." The citation also described late-night FaceTime calls the parents said they didn't know about, communication across multiple social media platforms investigators believed was manipulative, and a secret meeting near a school event. At a preliminary hearing, a judge dismissed the charge, citing a lack of probable cause presented that day. "I'm not finding any probable cause for this offense. The charge will be dismissed," the judge said during the hearing, according to WPSD. Because the case was dismissed without prejudice, prosecutors retained the ability to bring it back- which is exactly what's happening Tuesday. [Kentucky grooming case heads to grand jury after dismissalThe bill’s sponsor says a judge misunderstood Kentucky’s new grooming law. Now, the case against a Graves County teacher goes to a grand jury.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/19/8c19890d-f21a-4442-8055-5db9783cac58/content/images/icon/Profile-Pic_2-copy-18af8465-a3b2-472f-b9f7-6b45d50719f5.png)Shay InformedShay McAlister![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/19/8c19890d-f21a-4442-8055-5db9783cac58/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1646766677899-9c1750e28b0f-bc5f9363-59c7-4ce2-a7be-c3748ac8830b.jpg)](https://www.shayinformed.com/dismissed-grooming-case-against-graves-county-teacher-headed-to-grand-jury/) ## Why prosecutors are moving forward Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Powers, who is presenting the case, has told me he believes the evidence needed to file charges is there, and that the dismissal at the preliminary hearing stemmed from a misunderstanding of how the new law is supposed to be applied- not a weakness in the underlying evidence. He's also been clear that if evidence shows sexual abuse occurred, he would pursue far more serious charges than grooming. That distinction matters heading into Tuesday: the grooming charge isn't being used as a placeholder for a stronger case. It's being presented on its own terms. Sheriff Jon Hayden has confirmed his office's investigation never stopped after the dismissal- detectives have continued reviewing evidence, consistent with preservation requests submitted for Flores' Snapchat and TikTok accounts noted in the original citation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/19/8c19890d-f21a-4442-8055-5db9783cac58/content/images/2026/09/Marianne-Proctor.jpg) Rep. Marianne Proctor (R) At the center of the dismissal is a legal question that will likely shape how Tuesday's presentation is framed: does grooming require proof of sexual contact? Rep. Marianne Proctor (R), who sponsored House Bill 4, told me directly that it does not- and that she believes that's precisely where the case went wrong the first time. "I think he was a little puzzled as to why the county attorney believed that there needs to be sexual contact for this to be grooming, when the bill clearly defines what grooming is to prevent sexual contact," Proctor said, describing conversations she'd had with detectives on the case. "So I'm not sure how \[the county attorney\] is reading it the way that he is, but I just think it's a misinterpretation of the law." Proctor pointed to a specific provision in the bill that she says settles the question. If a perpetrator grooms one child and that leads to sexual contact, the charges run concurrently- the more serious offense takes precedence. But if a perpetrator grooms multiple children with sexual contact occurring in only one case, the charges stack separately. "The fact that they run concurrently already says there doesn't have to be sexual contact," Proctor said. "This bill is trying to prevent that... I don't understand that confusion." [Middle School teacher arrested under Kentucky’s new grooming law, one day into the new school yearDetectives say a Graves County Middle School teacher was charged after an investigation revealed an inappropriate relationship with a minor. “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![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/19/8c19890d-f21a-4442-8055-5db9783cac58/content/images/icon/Profile-Pic_2-copy-707bdebc-1cbc-41cb-8a13-f5d5ea41b4a7.png)Shay InformedShay McAlister![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/19/8c19890d-f21a-4442-8055-5db9783cac58/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1587483166702-bf9aa66bd791-5c0ae48e-5a7e-4274-be79-03de4123b3b9.jpg)](https://www.shayinformed.com/middle-school-teacher-arrested-under-kentuckys-new-grooming-law-one-day-into-the-new-school-year/) ## What a grand jury means here Grand jury proceedings are not public, and unlike a preliminary hearing, they don't require a defense presence or cross-examination- prosecutors present evidence directly to jurors, who then decide whether probable cause exists to move forward with an indictment. It's a notably different, and often lower, bar than what played out at the earlier hearing. Proctor said she wasn't entirely surprised the law hit early friction, given how new it is and how much it hinges on proving intent- something she acknowledged is inherently difficult to prosecute. "I think for this particular type of bill, I'm not completely surprised, because it's an intent bill," she said. "But the attorneys were willing to take it on, because you know what grooming is when you see it." She also urged the public to let the process play out rather than draw conclusions in the meantime. "I think the person's been charged. I think she is entitled to a fair trial, and I think the victim is entitled to protection- and to let this play out in the courts, not in social media," Proctor said. ## What to watch for If the grand jury finds probable cause, it could result in an indictment- sending the case toward trial. If it doesn't, the case could stall again, raising fresh questions about how prosecutors and courts across Kentucky will handle grooming allegations moving forward, now that House Bill 4 is officially being tested in real courtrooms. Either outcome will offer one of the clearest signals yet of how this law- passed unanimously and pitched as a way to intervene before abuse occurs- will actually function in practice. *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.*