Former Elementary School Teacher, 33, Arrested After 'Inappropriate' and 'Prolonged' Relationship with 14-Year-Old: Police

A former elementary school teacher in South Carolina has been arrested after having “an inappropriate and unlawful relationship with a 14-year-old male,” authorities have said.

On the morning of Thursday, July 10, former Anderson County teacher Nicole Ballew Callaham, 33, “voluntarily surrendered herself” and was “charged with three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor,” the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) wrote in an Instagram post.

Detectives determined that the former teacher “had a prolonged” relationship with the teen, and had allegedly “engaged in grooming behavior toward the boy during his early teenage years,” the post stated.

“An investigation initiated in May 2025 uncovered evidence that the misconduct began in 2021 and continued for at least two years with the then teenage boy,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

The Greenville Police Department added in a separate post obtained by PEOPLE and shared on Facebook that “some of the alleged criminal activity had occurred within the jurisdiction of the City of 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.” 

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“These repeated interactions led to a prolonged pattern of abuse, which was corroborated by search warrants and ongoing cooperation with the victim’s family,” the sheriff’s office added.

“According to investigators, the victim made the decision to come forward after turning 18, following time spent processing the experience and trauma associated with the abuse,” the post stated.

The sheriff’s office also confirmed that a “parallel investigation is currently underway by the Clemson City Police Department.”

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Callaham has since resigned from her teaching position “and Anderson School District Five is aware of the investigation and charges made by ACSO detectives,” the post noted.

Following Callaham’s arraignment on the ACSO’s charges, “she will be transported to the Greenville County Detention Center for charges filed by the Greenville Police Department,” the police department wrote on Facebook.

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and Anderson School District Five didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. The Greenville City Police Department didn’t have any additional updates to share at this time.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.