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31-year-old Kanesa Hopkins has gone from classroom to courtroom. She's being charged with a total of five child sex charges in two cities with one of her female students who was 13-year-old at the time of the sexual relationship. This is all after she was nominated and named teacher of the year for Berkeley County.
Hopkins works at Westview Middle School in Goose Creek where she was named teacher of the years.
The police say the sex with the then 13 year old girl didn't happen at school, but in Hopkins' home in North Charleston and in Goose Creek.
North Charleston pressed charges against Hopkins Monday morning in Charleston County bond court.
Detective Jerry Jellico says, "the victim came forward approximately two weeks ago, and gave us a statement, alleging this abuse occurred several years ago and that's when we began the investigation."
Court affidavits state the suspect and victim became friends while the victim was a student in Hopkins' 7Th grade class.
They began writing letters to one another and a relationship developed between the two. It turned physical in January of 2003.
Investigators tell Live 5 News that they seized love letters from the teacher, and that she confessed to the crimes.
Spokesperson Pam Bailey told me that Hopkins, an eight year veteran, is an excellent teacher and they were very surprised to hear about the arrest.
Hopkins' total bond was set at 300-thousand dollars and she was ordered to have a mental evaluation.
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