Former Henry teacher pleads guilty to sexual contact with a child

July 27, 2023

WATERTOWN, S.D.–A former teacher from Henry entered a guilty plea Wednesday to the charge of sexual contact with a child under 18 by a person of authority.

During a status hearing, Shanna Ries pleaded guilty to the class 6 felony, which is punishable by up to two years in prison, and up to a $4,000 fine.

In exchange for the guilty plea, the prosecution dropped  four other charges, including three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and a separate charge of sexual contact with a child under 18 by a person of authority.

Ries self-reported the incident involving a 16 year-old male student in March of this year. A sentencing hearing is set for August 30th.

Ries, a Lisbon, North Dakota native, had been teaching English Language Arts to middle and high school students. She submitted her resignation after being charged.