Teacher charged with having sex with student
A South Point High School teacher has been charged with having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a high school student.
Teika Watkins Helton, 45, is charged with one count of sexual activity between school personnel and a student. She was arrested just before 3 p.m. Monday and released a half hour later on $10,000 unsecured bond.
Police say Helton committed the offense sometime in the third week of May, just before the victim graduated. The student was a senior at the time, but police haven’t released the student’s age.
In North Carolina, it’s illegal for a teacher to have sex with a student even if that student is over 18.
School officials told WBTV, the Observer’s news partner, that Helton resigned in October after being a teacher at South Point since 1992.
Gaston County police said the case was initially reported to the Belmont Police Department then transferred to the county department at the request of District Attorney Locke Bell.
The case is still under investigation. Police encouraged anyone with additional information to call Gaston County Police at 704-866-3320.
Cleve R. Wootson Jr.: 704-358-5046, @CleveWootson
This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Teacher charged with having sex with student."