Accused Skyline teacher granted bond by Juvenile Court

According to the Commonwealth’s Attorneys Office, the Skyline High School teacher accused on four felony counts of “taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial relationship” involving two female students has been released on bond. A secured bond for Steven Bretsch was granted several days after his March 7 arrest following a hearing in Warren County Domestic & Juvenile Relations Court. The bond hearing was held in juvenile court due to the ages of the alleged victims.

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

A preliminary hearing, also scheduled for juvenile court, is slated for April 27.  Bretsch lives in Prince William County where he was arrested March 7 following a multi-jurisdiction search of that residence following interviews with the involved students and discussion with school officials earlier that day.

An initial attempt to pin down Bretsch’s employment status in the public school system was unsuccessful due to the fact it is a personnel matter.  But due to the nature of the charges, as well as the fact that no contact with alleged victims is usually a condition of bond on such charges, chances are that  Bretsch has been placed on administrative leave from his job as a Spanish teacher at Skyline High pending resolution of the case.

Steven Bretsch – Photo WCPS website

According to a March 9 Warren County Sheriff’s Office press release, following interviews with the alleged victims and school officials on March 7, Warren County and Prince William law enforcement searched Bretsch’s Prince William residence and then arrested him without incident.  He was transferred from the Prince William County Adult Detention Center to the RSW Regional Jail, where he was held till his bond hearing several days later.

Research into Bretsch’s employment history indicates he was a teacher at Battlefield High School in Prince William County from 2007-14.  He was also listed as a boys varsity soccer assistant coach there; a role he also served at Skyline High.

(Norman Jean Shaw contributed to this story)