Skyline teacher’s ‘indecent liberties’ prelim hearing delayed to June

The preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday, April 27 in the case of a Skyline High School teacher accused of improper sexual contact with two juvenile female students has been continued to June 29.  The case is slated for the morning docket at 10:30 a.m.

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

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Layton made the motion to continue the hearing, citing delays in acquiring forensic evidence from the state lab.  With no objection from defense counsel Steven Duckett, the prosecution’s motion was granted by Judge William Sharpe.

The scheduled hearing on four felony counts of “taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial relationship” against 33-year-old Steven Bretsch was on the Warren County Juvenile Court docket due to the age of his alleged victims.  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 those alleged victims are juvenile female Skyline High School students.

That complaint dates three specific incidents of sexual contact between Bretsch and the students to a four-month period between March 1 and June 30, 2016.  Bretsch was arrested on March 7, 2017.  All three of the alleged incidents were cited as occurring at Skyline High School; one involving both girls specified as occurring in his classroom.

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 was released on a $10,000 secured bond three days after his arrest.  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 privacy codes on personnel matters.  Bretsch was listed as a boys varsity soccer assistant coach at Battlefield; a role he also served at Skyline High.