Former St. John teacher pleads guilty to having sex with teen

A former first-grade teacher at St. John Elementary School pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor after having sex with a 16-year-old student attending the neighboring high school.

Mackenzie Naught, 25, was remanded to the Whitman County Jail to await sentencing Aug. 28, according to a Whitman County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office news release. Naught, who was a teacher at St. John at the time of the offense, faces six months to a year in jail under the standard sentence range. The news release said Naught will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Naught’s husband told law enforcement two months ago that his wife admitted to him that she had sex with the teen and the husband had screenshots to prove it, court records show. The husband told deputies he has known the teen for years and is friends with his family.

Mackenzie Naught filed for divorce from her husband last month, according to online court records.

The teen told deputies he was using Snapchat on May 3 to message the couple. He said the husband went to sleep and he continued talking to Mackenzie Naught, according to court documents.

The student said the defendant was “being flirty” and that she tried to persuade him to meet her, but he felt weird about it. He finally decided to meet her.

He picked her up at about 2:15 a.m. in his truck down the street from her house. She asked him where the “little spot” was they could go, he told deputies. He said he hangs out at Harwood Hill, which is just outside of St. John off Pine City-Malden Road. He said he drove them to the hill and they talked for a while.

Then, she suddenly kissed him. He said she started to “get handsy,” and they had sex inside his truck and in the bed of the truck. He then dropped her off at about 4 a.m. near her house.

Naught confirmed the teen’s story. She said she knew he is 16, but he is “like one of their friends,” according to court documents.

She apologized and said she knew it was wrong. She had asked the teen not to tell anyone.

“The defendant’s guilty plea represents an important step in holding her accountable for her actions and spares John Doe the burden of having to testify at trial,” said Tessa Scholl, senior deputy prosecutor, in the news release. “Our office remains committed to supporting John Doe and his family throughout the remainder of the judicial process.”