Richard Ives—a teacher at the Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS) in Ladue, Missouri—was arrested Wednesday (Jun. 13) after allegedly having sexual relations with an underage boy he met on a gay dating app.

Ives is the latest teacher in the United States to be accused of having sexual contact with an underage person. Similar to other cases, Ives is accused of using a social media app to aid his criminal activity. According to KMOV 4 News, the boy Ives was messing with is only 14-years-old.

Here’s what you need to know:

1Richard Ives allegedly used the Grindr Dating App to meet up with a 14-year-old boy, who he received a “lap dance” from. Ives was caught with the boy after getting pulled over for a traffic violation.

According to court documents, 48-year-old Richard Ives was pulled over by a St. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Deputy after he ran a stop sign just after midnight early Wednesday morning (Jun. 13).

The deputy said when he pulled over Ives’ gray Chevy Malibu he noticed a 14-year-old boy sitting in the front seat of the vehicle. Court documents state that the deputy also noticed evidence of a sexual act and that Ives admitted there was sexual activity between himself and the juvenile.

When the boy was asked for his identification, he said he was Ives’ nephew but didn’t provide any additional information. The deputy said he asked Ives to exit the vehicle and questioned him about why he was out so let with a young boy. The suspect confessed to the deputy that he took the boy to a commuter lot and kissed him. While Ives and the boy were kissing, other sexual contact was made, court documents stated.

The boy’s mother was immediately contacted by deputies, and when she arrived, the 14-year-old told the officer he met Ives on “Grindr,” a social media “hookup app” for gay men. The boy then corroborated Ives’ story that he had been picked up and taken to a commuter lot, where sexual contact was made.

According to Fox2Now, after searching the minor’s pockets, the deputy found ten $20 bills ($200) that the boy admitted were given to him by Ives. The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the boy allegedly gave Ives a “lap dance” in exchange for the money.

Ives was arrested and charged with enticement of a child, patronizing prostitution 14 years of age and younger, sexual misconduct of a child under 14 and second-degree sodomy. He was held on a $50,000 bond, which he posted overnight.

2Richard Ives has been teaching since 1995 at MICDS, where he is a fine arts teacher and curriculum coordinator.

Richard Joseph Schwartz Ives has been teaching for 23 years at MICDS (since 1995), according to his LinkedIn bio, which states that he was a “Curriculum Coordinator” for the school. A statement from the school after Ives’ arrest also revealed that he is also a Lower School Theater and Art teacher.

The statement, which was also emailed to parents, stated that he had been placed on leave and wouldn’t be allowed back on campus until the investigation was complete. Read the statement in its entirety below:

Dear MICDS Families and Employees,

By now, some of you will have heard that Rich Ives, Lower School Theater and Art Teacher and Director of Camp Pegasus, was arrested on Wednesday, June 13, in St. Genevieve County and reportedly has been charged with sexual misconduct with a minor. The young person involved is not a student or camper at our school.

Mr. Ives has been placed on leave from his job as Camp Director and as Art Teacher; he will not be allowed back on campus during the pendency of any charges and until an investigation has been completed. We are in communication with law enforcement and continue to gather facts. Tim Storey will serve as interim Camp Director.

The safety, health and well-being of all children is our first priority. We conduct thorough, periodic background screenings on all employees, provide training regarding child safety, and respond immediately and appropriately to all reports of misconduct.

I am deeply saddened to have to share this news. Should you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me or to Becky Young, our Associate Head of School.

Sincerely,
Lisa Lyle
Head of School

MICDS is a prestigious private day school serving students from kindergarten age through high school. The school’s about us statement reads: “At MICDS, we strive each day to uplift our bold Mission as we prepare the whole person with the intellectual, social/emotional and leadership skills they need to be successful and positive contributors to a diverse, global and rapidly changing society.”

Fun fact: Actor Sterling K. Brown is an alum of MICDS.

3In addition to teaching at MICDS, Ives also worked as the director of a local camp.

According to Richard Ives’ LinkedIn resume, he worked at a local camp called Camp Pegasus, a summer camp program at MICDS.

“Pegasus has earned a strong reputation in the St. Louis area for its innovative offerings, organization, and outstanding staff (roughly 80 employees annually),” the page reads. “We serve approximately 750 families each summer, and deliver exciting opportunities for children ages 4-14 to learn, grow, and express themselves in the arts, sciences, sports, technology, and more.”

Ives’ LinkedIn bio says he was the camp’s director and held that position for at least 17 years in the greater St. Louis area. The website currently lists “Rich Ives” as the director.

4Ives has a Master’s Degree in Education and Innovation from Webster University.

According to Richard Ives’ LinkedIn page, he attended college between 1990 and 1993 at Webster University, where he studied education and innovation, as well as elementary curricular leadership and literature and language. He received a master’s degree from the school, his LinkedIn page states.

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