A former North Carolina high school social studies teacher is accused of having a sexual relationship with her 16-year-old student.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office arrested Kayla Sprinkles, 26, on June 7 on multiple sexual assault charges for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with a student, WTVD reported.

Authorities began investigating the former Andrews High School social studies teacher in March after someone tipped them off about the alleged inappropriate relationship, which took place from December 2016 to April 2017.

Multiple students had been interviewed over the course of the investigation, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities said Sprinkles attempted to flee the country upon learning that a grand jury indicted her on five counts of sexually assaulting a minor.

The former teacher eventually turned herself in and was booked at the Mecklenberg County Detention Center.

After authorities charged her, Sprinkles was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond.

The sheriff’s office declined to release any more information because of the age of the victim.

“Due to the nature of the crime and the age of the victim no further information will be released concerning this incident,” the Cherokee County Sheriff said in a statement.

Sprinkles had not taught for very long at Andrews High School at the time the incident occurred, but the school announced that the district no longer employs her, People Magazine reports.

The former teacher is due back in court on July 2.

Teachers found guilty of having sex with their underage students have received harsh penalties for their crimes. In May, a judge sentenced an Ohio middle school teacher to one year behind bars for having sex with a 14-year-old boy in a classroom on the last day of the 2017 school year.

In other instances, teachers have gotten off easy. A teacher found guilty of having sex with four male students received no jail time but had to register as a sex offender and serve 42 months on probation.