Ridgefield middle school teacher’s aide faces charges

A teacher’s aide at a Ridgefield middle school appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court, accused of having sexual conversations with a student on Snapchat.

Mason Barry, 18, is facing two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 16 and needs to report to the Clark County Jail by Nov. 8 to be booked and released, court records show.

Ridgefield police responded Feb. 6 to a report of sexual messages between Barry and a 13-year-old student at View Ridge Middle School, court records show.

A family member who checked the student’s phone found messages between the girl and her friend about her relationship with Barry, according to court records.

The girl told police that on Feb. 1, she found Barry’s Snapchat profile and began messaging him. She said he’d told her he wanted to remain messaging on Snapchat so that he wouldn’t get in trouble, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The conversation became sexual, and Barry asked the girl for nude photos. She told police she was uncomfortable but went along with what he said so that she wouldn’t seem “uncool,” according to court records.

When interviewed by police, Barry allegedly admitted to having sexual conversations with the girl twice and asking for nude photos of her. He told police he realized he’d made a mistake, the affidavit states.