Former Russellville, California school staff member faces additional charge

Clairyssa Lorenz
Clairyssa Lorenz

A former elementary school counselor at the Cole County R-1 (Russellville) School District, who also is a former assistant softball coach at the California R-1 School District, is facing a new charge in an ongoing investigation into her allegedly inappropriate behavior with a minor student.

Clairyssa Lorenz, 27, was charged this week with sexual contact with a student in Cooper County.

She was charged earlier this month with second-degree statutory rape and sexual contact with the same student in Moniteau County.

The male victim notified Moniteau County sheriff's deputies in February that Lorenz had sexual intercourse with him on multiple occasions in June and July 2017, when he was 16.

Cooper County authorities filed their charge after the victim said he and Lorenz had a sexual encounter at her home in Cooper County during the same time period.

The victim said Lorenz was fully aware of his age, according to the probable cause statement. Authorities said they discovered Lorenz and the victim had been communicating via cellphones numerous times during the period in which the victim said their relationship took place.