A Pickens County teacher has been arrested after she admitted to having sex with a student, according to the Pickens County Sheriff's Office.
Katherine Folger Pelfrey, 34, admitted to having sex with a student at her home in Clemson in late December, Chad Brooks from the sheriff's office said.
Pelfrey, who was employed as a teacher with the Pickens County School District, was arrested in the wake of an investigation that began on Dec. 31. after authorities were alerted by someone who had recently learned of the relationship. The student's identity has been withheld in order to protect their identity.
School District Releases Statement
Pelfrey was no longer employed by the Pickens County School District effective Dec. 31, according to Darian Byrd, the Director of Communications & Virtual Learning at the School District of Pickens County.
Byrd released the following statement in the wake of Pelfrey's arrest:
The School District of Pickens County (SDPC) was made aware on December 31, 2021, that a complaint was made to the Pickens County Sheriff's Office regarding a minor student and an employee - Katherine Pelfrey. We can confirm that Katherine Pelfrey was employed by the SDPC and served as a teacher. She is no longer employed by SDPC effective 12/31/21.
Pelfrey Charged with Sexual Battery
Pelfrey is being charged with sexual battery with a student 16-17 years of age and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Brooks. The teacher was booked into the Pickens County Detention Center and released on $10,000 bond.
A similar incident took place around the same time last year in South Carolina when a 22-year-old teacher, Anna Elizabeth Jeanette Patton, of Florence, was arrested for having sex multiple times with a 16-year-old student and sending that pupil explicit photos and texts, as previously reported by The State.
