Teacher charged with stalking and harassment

A former Fairview Elementary School teacher has been charged with stalking and harassing a former student on social media. Sheldon Wilkening, 38, of West Plains faces felony charges after a West Plains Police Department investigation.

Police began their investigation when the student's mother reported that her 15-year-old daughter received inappropriate messages from Wilkening on the social media applications Snapchat and Instagram. The victim is a former student of Wilkening's. A representative of Fairview Elementary confirmed Wilkening was employed at the school from Aug. 14, 2017 until he was terminated on May 6, 2022. 

The probable cause statement filed by Detective Joe Neuschwander alleges Wilkening's inappropriate relationship with the student began when she was in eighth grade. 

"She became the primary focus of Wilkening," reads court documents.

The online harassment allegedly began after the student graduated when Wilkening added her on Snapchat. Wilkening messaged her "almost daily" for a four-month period beginning in May 2021 until the child became annoyed by the contact and deleted him on the application. 

"Wilkening immediately messaged her on the social media platform Instagram and was upset that she had deleted him," reads the statement. The girl responded that she was uncomfortable exchanging messages with him and asked him to stop repeatedly.

However, the unwanted messages continued from June 2021 through March 2022. 

"Wilkening thought they were in a relationship, evidenced by: him telling her he would "hit her up" because she looked twenty-one, that she looked hot, called her pretty, telling her she could get any guy she wanted, saying he would do anything for her, telling her he fell so hard for her, and getting upset that she had a boyfriend," continues the statement.

Wilkening was contacted for an interview regarding these allegations, but his attorney declined that interview on May 16. The Howell County Prosecuting Attorney's office charged Wilkening with first-degree stalking and first-degree harassment on Sept. 29.

A warrant for Wilkening's arrest was issued on Sept. 30.