Hernando deputies: teacher caught in bed with student

SPRING HILL -- The mother of a 17-year-old Nature Coast High School student returned home today to find her daughter lying underneath a 42-year-old man in his underwear, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. Deputies say he is the Nature Coast band teacher, and that this is the second time he was with the teen but the first time he got caught.

Hernando deputies arrested the teacher, Timothy Robert Brightbill, left this afternoon on two counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

The mother came home around 2:30 p.m., according to Hernando sheriff's Sgt. Donna Black, when she found the teacher in her daughter's bedroom.

"He was still there when deputies got there," Black said. "The mother called for deputies to respond immediately."

Brightbill was arrested on two counts because of another alleged sexual encounter with the victim that occurred in November, according to a sheriff's report.

The victim, whose identity is being withheld by the Sheriff's Office, told deputies that's when Brightbill first performed sex acts on her while she was at his Spring Hill home at 14987 Copeland Way.

Brightbill and the victim both allegedly performed sex acts on each other this afternoon, the 17-year-old told deputies, after he came to her home while no one else was there.

After he was read his rights, the teacher confessed to both incidents, according to the report. He was booked into the Hernando County jail, where he will be held in lieu of $20,000 bond.

The Sheriff's Office said it notified the Hernando County School Board but school officials could not be reached for comment tonight.

A 2007 article in the St. Petersburg Times described Brightbill as the band director of the high school's Marching Sharks band. Their halftime show was music from the Star Wars films.

When asked why he was a band director, Brightbill told the Times: "Because I absolutely love it."

Jamal Thalji, Times staff writer

Comments

[windowsugar]

And now we can see WHY.
For god's sake. FIND PEOPLE WHO ARE LEGAL.
AND, further THESE SEX LAWS WILL MAKE SELECTIVE CRIMINALS OF EVERYONE BUT THE MASONS SOON. The masons don't like sex. SO they outlaw it and anything else in any way possible. They profit from the misery and addiction of others.

MARKETING MARKETING MARKETING.

[nickatdabeach]

definitely gotta keep an eye on those spring hill babes.. I know from experience, of course, all of my encounters have been legal, presuming getting with married is legal.. babes in spring hill out of this world

[CLB]

Why wasn't he arrested BEFORE the second encounter?

Innocent until PROVEN guilty?

Mom's got the GOODS on this BAD BOY!

He won't be playing music for a LONG time!

[ChampBurger]

Is this the same Mr. Brightbill that taught Band at Pinellas Park Middle School?

[PhilMcCrevis]

The county tax payers should feel good about their money...atleast the Nature Coast students are being taught to be lovers as well as fighters (football program). HA HA HA HA HA

[Ann]

Is this the same Mr. Brightbill that taught Band at Southside Fundamental Middle School?

[Tathar]

If this is the same Timothy Brightbill from Pinellas Park Middle School, I'm absolutely shocked. Mr. Brightbill was the best band teacher that school had in a long time, and I was one of his students for two years.

I hope that the Mr. Brightbill I knew didn't do this.

[Candi]

Well we have young girl's flirting with the teachers so what do you expect. Sure this girl invited the teacher into her home. I blame the girl as much as the teacher. This mother I guess needs to keep an eye on her wild daughter.

[Mike]

Yes, to all those asking, Mr. Brightbill from Pinellas county. He has been a teacher for 17 years and lived in Pinellas prior to moving to Springhill.

[Brandon]

Mr Brightbill was my band teacher at Southside Fundamental in St. Pete. If the allegations are true, I don't worry about his future -- I worry about the future of bands he led at the school. Brighbill was an effective, engaging leader who was able to get large groups of often unruly students to work together. I hope whoever takes his place can continue his work, because students deserve a chance to be in a good band. I'd hate for the Nature Coast's music programs to be torpedoed by this.

[goodguy0893]

Mr. Brightbill was a nice guy, but this is not suprising at all. Even if the girl flirted with him he should have known better. This is not the mother's fault either, her daughter is 17 and he is 42, this is his fault. Like I said, it is not suprising, I think the whole band and other parents may have suspected.

[Lisa Hite]

To my dear friend Carrie (his wife)--hold your head up girl and continue on, its not your fault, he can't help himself--God Bless You.--------Lisa

[shuturyap]

Is teaching to play the flute such a crime?

[Pirate77]

Nature Coast? Another Nature Coast story? This must be the dumbest school in Florida, perhaps the entire nation! Between the sex-crazed population and the thugs on football team, how could a school get more bad press? Wow...

[Cynthia]

Although this man should not have done what he did, we have to take some responsibility as a community and a school system.

Why are we letting young girls go to school with their tops so low and tight that a persons eyes can't help but to look at their chest? Why should this type of dress be allowed?

I'm not saying this particular girl dressed like this, but most of the girls going to school today are dressed for the nightclubs instead of the learning enviornment.

[ALM_85]

Everyone has an opinion, but I trust none of the people who commented know either Tim Brightbill or the student in question.

The student is not a "wild girl," nor does she dress inappropriately for school. She is actually a good student -- and yes, she does come from a broken home and perhaps this wouldn't have happened if her parents were more involved in her life. She is not a bad person, she just made a stupid mistake. A phenomenally stupid mistake that I'm sure she'll regret for the rest of her life.

Tim is a wonderful band director. He truly is. He is not a bad person either... he also apparently made a really bad judgment call, and there is no excuse for his behavior.

Both people are at fault here. Tim is not the victim due to the alleged "flirting," and the student is not the victim due to her age. Both of them made a conscious, selfish decision. If you want to look for victims here, there are plenty of them. Tim's wife and daughter, for starters. I can't imagine what they must be going through. And what about all of the other music students? The rest of the school year is shot for them. I don't see them going to any MPA performances or finishing out the year well at all. I am truly disappointed in both Tim and the student for what they chose to do when they must have known how many other people would suffer for their actions.

In the meantime, though, however we may be feeling, it is not appropriate to guess at what happened or why it happened, or to make accusations. The families and other students are having a hard enough time dealing with this as it is.

[Tathar]

ALM: I am one of Mr. Brightbill's former students. I heard about this only an hour before 2009, so it ruined my partying mood to hear that a band teacher I looked up to got involved in this.

I can only hope that it turns out he didn't do this.

[zod]

to all the folks that never violated any moral, legal, or spiritual laws that enjoy seeing their words in print - In time, one way or another, your hypocrisy will come back to visit you. It is a law that, perhaps you're not familiar with yet. Good luck when the sh_t hits the fan in for you.

[zod]

to all the folks that never violated any moral, legal, or spiritual laws that enjoy seeing their words in print - In time, one way or another, your hypocrisy will come back to visit you. It is a law that, perhaps you're not familiar with yet. Good luck when the sh_t hits the fan for you.

[shuturyap]

zod- do you stutter?

[almostreal]

Mr. Brighthill was a teacher, he took a position as a professional, a position of power, and he abused this power. My daughter was in band and I have sat in many different meeting with Mr. Brighthill. HE IS AT FAULT. Not the girl, not her parents, he needs to take full responsibility for this. Was he a good band director? NO. A good band director, like any good teacher, has respect from his students, he didn't. What the girl dressed like or acted like does not matter. She was his student. PERIOD. HE WAS IN A POSITION OF POWER. He took advantage of that position. The students thought he was cool, parents thought he was cool. He was a 42 year old man that preyed on this girl. Sorry to burst your bubble, I know a lot of you parents wanted to be cool like him, and wanted to be part of the band because of him, but the parents that saw him as nothing but a creepy old guy were right, because that what he was.

I do feel sorry for his wife, and my feeling go out to her. I hope she has a network of friends that stay true to her and can help her get through this. But to him....I hope he gets to go to jail...and feel what true abuse of power feels like.

[CTJ]

How do we ban Aaron?
Abuse or something, he's trolling everywhere here.

[Tathar]

almostreal: You don't know this guy at all. He wasn't a good band director. He was a great one.

If you were a student of his you'd know this, but I wouldn't expect someone who has no personal ties to this situation to understand.

[anotherparent]

i am not sure my 1st post was accepted.

the principle and staff were told about his shady behavior. they were given proof of his lack of maturity and lack of authority with his students. and they all turned the other cheek to it. i know they needed a band teacher but they knowingly kept him there to prey on the students and (no pun intended) play his students and their parents for fools. this is not the only happening regarding students and mr brightbill. they(principle and office staff) should all be ashamed of themselves for not doing what they could ,knowing what they all know!they had parent support but failed us as well. brightbill knows his behavior was wrong on so many levels and now.....he will pay (finally)!!!! mr alexander needs to make big staff changes at NCT before he goes,i hope he gets to hear from all the past and present band parents and get the whole picture!! it is a colorful one!!!!

[.45]

SOME CALL DEBRA LAFAVE LAWYER QUICK...HE'LL HAVE HIM OUT IN NO TIME FLAT...I MEAN HE ONLY DID WHAT SHE DID, HAD SEX WITH A MINOR AND SHE NEVER WENT TO JAIL...OH WAIT MAYBE THE EXCUSE OF HE'S TOO CUTE TO GO TO JAIL MAY NOT WORK IN THIS CASE

[almostreal]

Tather,

First off...He was arrested for having sex with a student...I don't know what constitutes a BAD director to you, but this is a GIANT red flag to me. Second, when me, my wife, and several other parents are telling their children not to be alone with this man in the band room, again...GIANT red flag. Because I have a PERSONAL tie...my daughter...to this situaltion...I DO UNDERSTAND. But because I didn't fall into the "He's so Cool...what a great guy, and we are so lucky" category, I can look at this as a "Thank God it wasn't my Daughter..." category.

and...Aaron, I think you may need help.

an

[Mark]

Look, the guy knew better. She's under 18, that makes it ILLEGAL! And she was dumb enough to participate with him. End of story.

[ohwell]

sick really sick the people who comment feeling bad for this man ?? i dont care what the girl did or how old she is?? he was her teacher he abused that right he is also married and abused that right imagine the audacity he had to commit this act right in the young girls home i am quite sure he has done this with others as he did not appear to be worried about getting caught and to the post above the one to his wife from lisa what do you mean by he cannot help himself do you know somthing we dont know

[Kayla]

They Need To Check all The Background's. Just Like Over At Central High School There Were 2 Teacher's With The Same Issue Problem. But You Let a Couple Go In To Central High School And Let Them Be Completly Honest About There Situration. Especialy When The Man Wasn't On Any Probation Or Anything. That Man Can't Even Go To Central High School and He Paid His Debt To (SOCIETY). Deputy Myles Is Messing With Her All The Time On His Daughter For No Reason At All. Just To Aggravate Her Majorly. It Was A False statement That His Olderest dauhter Made Up The allegation's. Because she Couldn't Live By Our Rules Of The House. I seriously Thinking About Going To Mr. Nugent. The head Cop In Here Where I Live. Bascially He Is The Chief Of All Over The Police Officer's.
And They Didn't Have Any Evidence Against Him. It was All False allgation's. His Daughter That Did This Told Him she couldn't Come Down To Florida Because She Said I am Sorry. And I can't afford To go To Prison Because Of Her 2 kid's Of Her's. There Is Carma all around and she will Get It soon.
B>s>,
Kayla

[Rena]

Well for those of you who are deciding that no one commenting here has any personal ties to Mr. Brightbill you are sorely mistaken. Aside from those who knew him personally, knew his wife personally, who have commented here, there have been several students. I will not condone what Mr. Brightbill did though only having found out about it about 20 minutes ago I still find it hard to take in. I won't stand up for his behavior or his decision or try to pin blame on either party because I don't know enpugh about what went on. What I will say though is that those parents out there who think that because he made one stupid mistake with someone he most definitely should have that doesn't make him a bad person or conductor. A bad husband, a bad father, a bad example perhaps, but he is only human and humans make stupid mistakes. As for him being a bad conductor it is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I was a student of his for a few years. I remember being in a very dark and lonely place in my life when his class gave me something to look forward to. Here was a teacher who cared about his students, not just the ones who kissed up to him or who did well without as much attention from hi, but all of them. And when you needed someone to turn to he was someone you could. I will agree his teaching mehtods were different from any teacher I've ever had but they were also the most effective. I never saw or heard or experienced him make any innapropriate comment or gesture towards anyone so I cannot see how people will say that he was shady. He was someone to look up to, who gave students pride in themselves. I am dissapointed in him and I will not stand up for what he did, but I will not allow for people to tarnish what he did well. My sympathies to his wife and child. I can only imagine why he did this, he was always talking about you two with such pride. I'm sorry.