FARMINGTON, Mo. – The former principal of St. Joseph School was arrested for child enticement Thursday, according to officials.
Matt Farr is charged with two counts of child enticement for allegedly asking students to show him their genitals in May of last year, court documents say.
Farr served as the principal at St. Joseph School up until the end of the 2022–2023 school year, after using inappropriate language with students, according to a statement from Rev. William Thess, pastor. A decision had already been made that Farr would not return for the 2023–2024 school year due to his language.
Thess says in a statement to parents that there were no reports of physical contact and that school administrators had reported the earlier matter to the Missouri Department of Social Services.
“We only became aware of the charges filed against Farr on Thursday evening. As of Friday afternoon, we have not been contacted by law enforcement in connection with these charges, and we have no reason to believe the charges are related to our report,” Thess said in the letter.
Farr is currently being held at St. Francois County Jail on a $100,000 surety bond. A hearing is scheduled for April 3.
