Nicole Ballew Callaham, ex Anderson County, South Carolina teacher with Anderson School District Five charged with having prolonged sexual relationship with 14 year old student as the now 18 year old victim addressing media says as a male he should not be shunned.
A former South Carolina teacher appeared in court on Thursday for a bond hearing where she faced charges over an alleged prolonged inappropriate relationship with a teenage boy.
Nicole Ballew Callaham, 33, a former Anderson County teacher turned herself in to the Anderson County Detention Center Thursday, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
She was charged with three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Greenville county teacher grins during bond hearing as she announces pregnancy
Former Anderson County teacher began grooming victim when he was only 14 years old
Detectives began investigating Callaham in May and found that the alleged misconduct began in 2021 and continued for at least two years.
Callaham, a teacher at the time, began ‘grooming behavior’ with the boy, reported to be 14 years.
‘The relationship intensified as she reportedly signed the student out of school, transported him to practices and served as a supervisor for after-school activities,’ the sheriff’s office said. ‘These repeated interactions led to a prolonged pattern of abuse, which was corroborated by search warrants and ongoing cooperation with the victim’s family.’
Teen victim speaks out about sexual abuse: ‘as a male I should not be shunned away’
The boy came forward after turning 18, ‘following time spent processing the experience and trauma associated with the abuse,’ authorities said.
Speaking to FOX Carolina, the victim said, ‘although it’s a traumatic event, I am here to fight and I am not going to back down. And that more awareness needs to be brought to things like this.
‘Just because I am a man doesn’t mean it should be shunned away.’
In addition to the charges in Anderson County, the Greenville City Police Department has brought similar charges against Callaham according to a Facebook release.
The alleged conduct extended into its jurisdiction when the boy attended school in Greenville.
The police department confirmed that Callaham had previously worked as an elementary school teacher, writing, ‘The investigation revealed that Callaham engaged in an inappropriate and unlawful relationship with a 14-year-old male. Based on evidence collected, Greenville detectives obtained arrest warrants for multiple offenses committed within our jurisdiction.’
In addition to the ACSO’s charges, the suspect has also been charged with eight counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and four counts of unlawful conduct towards a child by the Greenville Police Department.
The ACSO said on Instagram that the suspect and the teenager’s relationship had “intensified as she reportedly signed the student out of school, transported him to practices, and served as a supervisor for after-school activities.”
The sheriff’s office also confirmed that a ‘parallel investigation is currently underway by the Clemson City Police Department.’
Callaham taught at Homeland Park Elementary School from 2017 until her resignation from Anderson School District Five on May 21.
