A former Dexter High School industrial arts teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with one of her students will not be prosecuted at this time after the state agreed to defer pursuing the charge against her.
"Pursuant to the wishes of the victim ... we entered a deferred prosecution agreement" with Marti L. Pulliam, "and she has surrendered her teaching license" as part of that agreement, explained Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver.
Pulliam was supposed to have appeared Tuesday in Butler County before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett for a review of her case.
The 40-year-old had been charged with the Class D felony of sexual contact with a student on public school property.
The charge against Pulliam stemmed from an investigation by the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department and Dexter Police Department into allegations Pulliam had a sexual relationship with a then 18-year-old Dexter student in 2015.
The relationship, according to then Stoddard County Capt. Hank Trout's probable-cause affidavit, began with texting regarding school matters during the 2014-2015 academic year between teacher and student.
After he turned 18, the student told officers the texting became more flirting in nature, and later, he and Pulliam began sending sexually-explicit photographs to each other via a social media service.
The teen, Trout said, further reported his relationship subsequently turned in a sexual one with Pulliam.
When Pulliam was interviewed, Trout said, the woman admitted she "had an affair with one of her students."
Pulliam had resigned from her position with the Dexter School District prior to her being arrested and charged.