Skyline High teacher Steven Bretsch waives preliminary hearing on sex charges

FRONT ROYAL – Skyline High School teacher Steven Bretsch was in Warren County Juvenile Court Thursday morning, for a scheduled preliminary hearing, accused of improper sexual contact with two female students.

Appearing with his attorney, Steven Duckett, the 33-year-old Bretsch waived his right to a preliminary hearing on two felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial relationship.  The prosecution’s motion was granted by Judge William W. Sharp and the charges were certified to the Grand Jury.  The other two charges were “nol prossed”, which amounts to a dismissal of the charges by the prosecution.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Anna Hammond appeared on behalf of Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Brian Layton, who was tied up in an adjacent courtroom, prosecuting the Clay Curtis murder trial.

Accused teacher Steven Bretsch after his March 7 arrest – Photo/RSW Regional Jail

Bretsch appeared in Juvenile Court because his alleged victims are both minors.  According to a March 8 Warren County Sheriff’s Office press release, as well as the criminal complaint filed on March 7, 2017, both of the alleged victims are juvenile female Skyline High School students.

That complaint cites three specific incidents of sexual contact between Bretsch and the girls during a four-month period between March 1 and June 30, 2016.  Bretsch was arrested on March 7, 2017.  All three of the alleged incidents allegedly occurred at Skyline High School.

Steven Bretsch – Photo WCPS website

According to the March 8 press release from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, following interviews with the two students and school officials on March 7, 2017, Warren County and Prince William law enforcement searched Bretsch’s Haymarket home in Prince William County and then arrested him without incident.  He was transferred from the Prince William County Adult Detention Center to the RSW Regional Jail.  He is being held at the R-S-W Regional Jail in lieu of bond.  Bretsch faces up to five years in prison on each conviction.

Research into Bretsch’s employment history indicates he was a teacher at Battlefield High School in Prince William County from 2007-14.  No information on the reason for his departure from Battlefield High was available due to the privacy rules regarding personnel matters.

Bretsch served as a boys’ varsity soccer assistant coach at Battlefield; he also served in that capacity at Skyline High.

Bretsch’s next court appearance is slated for July 5 at 2 p.m. in Warren County Circuit Court.