IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. -- An Iredell County teacher is out on bond and out of a job after being charged with engaging in sexual activity with a student.
The 37-year-old woman resigned from her job at South Iredell High School after being arrested Thursday night.
Valdez has a son at South Iredell HIgh School, so news that 37-year-old English teacher Julianna Ortiz Mills was arrested for sexual activity with a male student, is devastating to her.
"You're always shocked with something like this, it's scary it brings tears to your eyes 'cause that's our babies; you want to protect them as much as you can, but you can't be with them 24 hours a day," said Valdez.
In an official release, the Iredell County Sherriff's office says Mills was busted when a deputy was patrolling an area near Moose Club Road in Troutman, just a few miles from the school, when he noticed a suspicious car parked at the end of a dead end road in an undeveloped residential area. The deputy observed a female standing outside of the vehicle and a male sitting in the vehicle.
The student was taken to be questioned which led to Mills being charged with one count of sexual activity with a student by a teacher, and one felony count of taking indecent liberties with a student by a teacher.
Police say the crimes started in December of last year, but not at school. We went to Mills' Mooresville home to see what she had to say, but no one was home.
Valdez says she's anxious to talk to her son.
"I'm going to ask if he knows her, if he was in her class, did she ever approach him and things like that, and did he have concerns about her," said Valdez.
The student was over the age of 16, but in North Carolina it's illegal for a teacher or school personnel to engage in sexual activity with any student.
Valdez says the student's age doesn't matter.
"It's abuse and it will scar the child forever; they'll be dealing with this forever," said Valdez.
Mills resigned her position on Friday.
