A Union County Public Schools teaching assistant has been charged after allegedly taking inappropriate photos of a 5-year-old special needs child with her cell phone.

HANNAH IRENE EMBREY

Name: Hannah Irene Embrey
Age: 19
Charge(s): One count of Peeping into a Room While Possessing a Photo Device (Class 1 misdemeanor) and one count of  Disseminating Photo Obtained by Peeping Violation (Class I felony)
Charge Type(s): (View Sentencing Chart)
Arrest Date: Feb. 5, 2024
Bond Details: Unknown amount and type; Embrey was released from custody around 10:14 p.m. on Feb. 5.

Victim /Case Details:

The victim is allegedly a five-year-old autistic boy.

Statement from the Union County Sheriff’s Office:

Instructional Assistant Charged During Ongoing UCSO Investigation
Post Date:02/07/2024 10:53 AM

Yesterday evening, 19-year-old Hannah Embrey of Indian Trail was charged and arrested as part of an ongoing UCSO investigation. This investigation began last week after deputies were notified that Embrey, an Instructional Assistant at Shiloh Valley Primary School, had reportedly taken an inappropriate photograph of a student at the school.

Embrey was charged with one count of Misdemeanor Peeping into a Room While Possessing a Photo Device and one count of Felony Disseminating Photo Obtained by Peeping Violation. Embrey has been placed on administrative leave by Union County Public Schools pending the outcome of their internal investigation.

Sheriff Eddie Cathey Adds “From the moment our deputies were notified, we began investigating all the circumstances surrounding this incident. After a timely, thorough investigation, it was evident that this instructional assistant made a bad decision and criminal charges were appropriate. Ensuring the safety and privacy of our local children is a paramount concern for my office and I encourage anyone with additional information about this case to contact our detectives”.

Anyone with information pertaining to this case is asked to call the UCSO Main Office at (704)283-3789. Tips can also be submitted through our free smartphone application which can be found on your phone’s app store by searching “Union County Sheriff’s Office, NC”.

District: Union County Public Schools
Current Role: Teachers Assistant, Exceptional Children’s Program at Shiloh Valley Primary School
History: None
Employment status: As of Feb. 1, Administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation

Statement from District: No official statement as of Feb. 9

NC Teacher License Information: No NC teaching license on file with the state