Mom Hides Recording Device In Daughter's Backpack To Catch Bullies, Now Faces Felony Charges

Norfolk, Virginia mom Sarah Sims was tired of her daughter being bullied at school and even more tired of the school's administration alleged response.

So she decided to get proof that not only was her 4th grade daughter was being bullied, but that, from her perspective, officials at Ocean View Elementary weren't doing much to address these claims.

Sims placed a digital recording device in her daughter's backpack, which was eventually discovered and reported to the front office. Now, Sims can be facing felony charges.

Sims alleges that after constant emails and phone calls to Ocean View elementary that she claims were left unanswered regarding the severity of her daughter's bullying, she was left with no choice but to take action.

After she was charged with a felony by local police, she reached out to WISH-TV with her story.

"I tried to be fair, but it’s not fair. There is nothing fair about this. The thing that bothers me the most is that I am yet to get a response from anyone in the administration... If I’m not getting an answer from you, what am I left to do?"

When Sims received notice that she maybe become a convicted felon for hiding the recorder in her daughter's bookbag, she was aghast.

"I was mortified. The next thing I know, I’m a felon. Felony charges and a misdemeanor when I’m trying to look out for my kid. What do you do?"

If charged, Sims could spend five years in prison, something that her attorney, Kristin Paulding, says won't happen as she believes the two charges, device to intercept oral communication and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor, won't hold up in court.

"We are at the very early stages of this, but even at the early stages I think the community needs to know that this is happening, because any parent out there that is sending their child to school now could be at risk for something that happened to Sarah."

WAVY reached out to Norfolk Schools and were told that because it is a pending investigation, they were unable to comment on the situation.

Sims will get her chance to tell her side of the story come January 18th.