ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C. — An employee of a Bethlehem child development center has been charged with assaulting a child, according to the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said it received a report Oct. 10 of alleged child abuse at Mt. Bethel Methodist Church Child Development Center. Following an investigation, deputies arrested Holly Marie Payne, 36, of Taylorsville, on Oct. 21.
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Payne, an employee of the center, is charged with misdemeanor assault on a child under 12, the sheriff’s office said.
She was initially held at the Alexander County Detention Center on a $10,000 secured bond. Authorities said she has since posted bond and been released.
Payne’s first court appearance is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 23.
The sheriff’s office did not release details about the alleged assault, including the age of the child, whether the child was hurt or what led investigators to make an arrest.