A law sponsored by State Rep. Marianne Proctor of Union and motivated by cases in Boone County led to its first known arrest less than four weeks after taking effect, when a Graves County middle school teacher was charged Aug. 7 with grooming a 14-year-old student.

Sadie M. Flores, 25, of Mayfield, faces one count of grooming a minor, a Class D felony punishable by one to five years in prison. She is believed to be among the first people charged under House Bill 4, which Proctor sponsored and Gov. Andy Beshear signed April 10.

The law took effect July 15, according to Spectrum News 1. Twenty-three days later, Graves County sheriff's detectives arrested Flores at Graves County Middle School.

Proctor, a Republican representing House District 60, told Spectrum News 1 in an interview published Wednesday, Aug. 12, that the legislation was driven by "several really egregious cases up in Boone County" brought to her attention, as well as a personal story from a friend at her church whose daughter experienced grooming. Before the law, she said, there was nothing law enforcement could do to intervene.

Proctor previewed the bill at the Nov. 3, 2025, Union City Commission meeting. The commission voted 5-0 that night to draft a resolution supporting the effort, according to meeting minutes. Attorney Greg Voss was later directed to prepare the formal resolution at a Nov. 17, 2025, caucus meeting.

House Bill 4 passed both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly unanimously. It creates a standalone criminal offense for grooming, defined as a course of conduct intended to establish an emotional connection with a minor through manipulation or trust-building to facilitate or normalize sexual behavior, even if no physical contact occurs.

Before the law, Kentucky detectives often could not file charges until a sexual assault or clear solicitation had already taken place.

"This gives us the ability to stop a crime before it escalates to a traumatic or unforgettable experience," Detective Ben Doran of the Graves County Sheriff's Office told Spectrum News 1 in the same Aug. 12 report. "So that's a major win for Kentucky law and law enforcement."

The case against Flores began when a parent found messages between the teacher and the student that were not school-related, according to the sheriff's office. The citation alleges Flores made multiple late-night FaceTime calls the parents did not know about, expressed feelings of love and admiration beyond a student-teacher relationship, and met the student in secret before a school function, WPSD Local 6 reported. Investigators submitted preservation requests for Snapchat and TikTok accounts.

Graves County Schools Superintendent Matt Madding said in a statement that the district immediately reported the allegation to law enforcement and is cooperating fully with authorities.

Flores was taken to the Graves County Restricted Custody Center and later moved to an out-of-county detention facility. Sheriff Jon Hayden said the investigation remains ongoing. No court date has been publicly announced.