UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Union County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested and charged a Weddington High School teacher on Wednesday with two counts of disseminating obscenities and three counts of disseminating obscenities to a minor.
Santos Alejandro Valladares’ arrest was the result of an extensive investigation conducted by the sheriff’s office with help from the Union County Public Schools administration.
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The investigation began after school district administrative staff received information that Valladares was having inappropriate contact with students online.
Detectives learned that Valladares initiated and continued to have contact with several students within the school via Snapchat. During the conversations, obscene material was created and shared by Valladares, according to investigators.
“Our investigators, along with UCPS administrative staff, came together to identify and arrest a perpetrator that sought to exploit the children of our community,” Sheriff Eddie Cathey said. “We will remain vigilant in our efforts to curb any activity related to sexual exploitation. I encourage parents to speak with their children and teenagers about the dangers of social media applications and to monitor their accounts to ensure their safety.”
Initially, authorities reported that Valladares was a former teacher and later clarified that he is still employed with UCPS.
The investigation is ongoing.
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