Audrey Hughes is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student at Parkview Middle School in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A former mental health worker is accused of sex crimes against a middle school student in southern Indiana.
Audrey Hughes is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a female student at Parkview Middle School in Jeffersonville. Court records show while the probable cause affidavit was filed Dec. 29, 2025, Hughes wasn’t arrested until May 2026.
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The court ordered Hughes not to have contact with the victim, and bond was set at $150,000.
The student’s parents reached out to police on Feb. 13 about inappropriate communications they noticed with Hughes and their student, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Police said they learned during a later interview with the parents that they found flirtatious messages with an out-of-state number while transferring their daughters’ SIM card to another phone, and had originally thought it was another student. However, that number ended up belonging to Hughes.
The parents said their daughter was scheduled to meet with Hughes, a former Centerstone worker, for 45 minutes while in school. However, she was spending time with Hughes every day and for longer periods of time, which resulted in missed classes and school discipline due to her absences, according to court documents.
When interviewing the student, police learned Hughes gave the student gifts and things her parents wouldn’t buy her.
The girl also told police her and Hughes communicated with each other on a secret phone, and that she called Hughes “addicting.” She also revealed that she saw inappropriate images while scrolling on Hughes’ phone, but that each time she saw them, Hughes acted like it was an accident.
Court documents revealed the parents did approve of a meeting between their student and Hughes at a local library. When they realized the student wasn’t there anymore, the parents called both Hughes and the student, but only the student answered. They said they wanted their child home immediately, and they arrived at the residence moments later.
The parents told police this type of behavior continued until the school learned the victim was with Hughes beyond her scheduled session times. The school then reached out to Hughes, who allegedly provided false information, and she was fired shortly after.
Hughes is charged with child seduction and dissemination of matter harmful to minors.
In a statement, Centerstone said the health and safety of their patients and staff members is at the heart of its mission. When they learned of allegations of wrongdoing by a student on Feb. 10, 2025, Centerstone launched an internal investigation and fired her four days later.
“Centerstone has not received any additional reports or allegations of misconduct by Audrey Hughes or any other school-based therapists in Greater Clark County Schools and is cooperating with investigators and school officials,” the statement reads. “The organization maintains a positive relationship with the school district and has done so for more than 20 years.”