Former Cape Central teacher booked for allegedly sexually assaulting student in 2009

A former Cape Girardeau Central High School teacher was booked last week on a charge of second-degree statutory sodomy by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office.

Freeman Fouts, 35, was booked Dec. 1 and faces charges for allegedly sexually assaulting one of his former Cape Girardeau Central students.

On Nov. 6, the victim reported Fouts began to befriend him during the course of the 2008-2009 school year. In approximately January 2009, Fouts began giving the victim rides home from school nearly every day, which led to him eventually sexually assaulting the student several times per week, authorities said. The alleged sexual abuse occurred between January 2009 and May 2010 in Cape Girardeau. The victim said there were also incidents that occurred in Wayne County, Missouri, and Destin, Florida.

On Nov. 12, Fouts admitted during a phone call with the victim to having an inappropriate sexual relationship with him, according to a probable-cause statement. The statement said Fouts seemed “extremely nervous” during the call and “repeatedly expressed regret and remorse to the victim.”

Fouts was an English/language arts teacher at Cape Girardeau Central from June 2008 to June 2014, according to his LinkedIn page. Since leaving the Cape Girardeau School District, Fouts was employed at the Sullivan School District from June 2014 to July 2018 and at the Washington School District from July 2018 until present.

Second-degree statutory sodomy is a Class-D felony punishible by up to seven years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.

Fouts is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing with Judge Frank Miller at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson.