Cops charge mom with felony after she planted recorder in child's backpack to collect evidence of bullying

A Virginia mother who placed a recording device in her 9-year-old daughter's backpack to help prove to school officials that she was being bullied has been charged by police with a felony.

Local news station WAVY reports that Norfolk resident Sarah Sims grew fed up with her local elementary school's failure to take action to prevent her daughter from being bullied. To put the school's feet to the fire, she planted a recorder in her daughter's backpack to show them direct evidence that she was a victim of a bullying campaign.

However, when the school found the recorder and then moved her daughter to a different classroom.

What surprised her even more, says tells WAVY, is that she was subsequently charged with a felony.

Specifically, WAVY says police charged Sims with "use of device to intercept oral communication and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor," which could carry up to five years in prison.

“I was mortified,” Sims said.  “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?”

Watch WAVY's report on the case below.