NEW ALBANY – A former West Union teacher and University of Mississippi counselor waived her right to be arraigned last week and pleaded not guilty to a felony count of child abuse.
Lauren Kennamore, 36, of Amy Court, Pontotoc, was charged earlier this month with one count of child enticement. She is accused of intentionally soliciting a 17-year-old student to meet with her “or engage in sexually explicit conduct.” According to the indictment filed on October 3, the crime occurred in February or March this year.
According to court documents filed Oct. 16 in Union County Circuit Court, Kennamore waived her right to be arraigned and pleaded innocent. She also hired defense attorney Anthony Farese, who filed a discovery motion to get the District Attorney’s Office to turn over any evidence against Kennamore.
Kennamore was a math and algebra teacher at the West Union Attendance Center when the crime allegedly occurred. Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards told the New Albany Gazette that Kennamore was fired because of the alleged incident. She then joined the University of Mississippi as an academic advisor in the School of Journalism and New Media.
After the indictment was made public, Kennamore was arrested and booked into the Union County Jail on October 8. She was released the same day after posting $20,000 bail. The day after her arrest, the university placed her on leave and informed students that the vice dean’s duties would be taken over by an associate dean.
A charge of soliciting a child to meet for sexual purposes covers a wide range of activities, but usually does not include sexual intercourse. If that were the case, Kennamore would likely be charged with sexual battery by a person in trust.
If convicted, Kennamore faces a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a minimum fine of $50,000. Under state statute, the maximum penalty is 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Unlike most judgments that provide for imprisonment and/or fines, this law states that upon conviction, a person “shall be fined… and imprisoned.”