Holdrege, Neb. - A Holdrege teacher and her boyfriend were arrested last week after a high school student reported a string of inappropriate encounters that prompted a police investigation, authorities said. Elizabeth “Jamie” Love, 36, and Jarid “Jack” Krause, 43, were booked on felony sex-trafficking charges; Love also faces an additional count alleging sexual grooming by a school employee.
According to an affidavit described by investigators, the probe began after the student — who has worked with Love in a school setting since middle school — told law enforcement she had received messages, in-person attention and out-of-school contact from Love that moved beyond a professional relationship. The report says the student felt uncomfortable after an August phone call in which Krause allegedly expressed sexual interest, and Love allegedly told the student she “would be willing to share” him.
Investigators say a separate October incident escalated the alarm: the student told police Love picked her up from home, took her to Love’s residence and that Krause led her to an upstairs bedroom and made a sexual request she declined. Surveillance footage and phone records cited in court documents were among the items police examined while building their case. The affidavit also says Love gave the student $100 after the encounter; Love told investigators the money was a gift to help the student buy a phone.
Court records and reporting indicate the couple exchanged messages earlier in the year about seeking “our person” and even discussed foster-care paperwork — comments prosecutors included in the complaint to show alleged intent and planning. Police said the investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Love is employed as a transition coordinator and teacher of the deaf with Education Service Unit No. 11 (ESU-11), which serves several rural districts in south-central Nebraska; ESU-11 has placed her on administrative leave while the case proceeds, local outlets reported. Both defendants are being held in the Phelps County Jail on $250,000 cash bonds with no surety option noted in charging documents. If convicted, the defendants face severe penalties, including possible life imprisonment and lifetime registration on Nebraska’s sex-offender registry.
Holdrege police said the investigation remains active and asked anyone with information or who had prior interactions with Love or Krause that now seem suspicious to contact the department. (Holdrege Police: (308) 995-4407.)
Sources: People, Nebraska.TV, Fox News