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🚓 Teacher Arrested: Timothy John Sexton, a current Crestview High School teacher, has been charged with multiple counts of sexual battery related to a reported relationship with a student that began in 2001.
📱 Tip Triggers Action: The investigation began in March after a report was filed through the FortifyFL app; Sexton was placed on administrative leave the next day.
🏫 District Responds: The Okaloosa County School District reported the allegations to authorities and plans to recommend Sexton’s suspension without pay.
CRESTVIEW — A Crestview High School teacher has been arrested and charged with sexual battery stemming from an alleged relationship with a student that began more than two decades ago, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday.
Timothy John Sexton, 58, was taken into custody at his home in Crestview by sheriff’s deputies and the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force. He is charged with sexual battery by a person in custodial authority and sexual battery involving a victim between the ages of 12 and 18, according to an arrest warrant issued June 6.
Investigators allege the relationship began in April 2001, when the victim was 14, and Sexton was 34 and a teacher at Pryor Middle School in Fort Walton Beach.
The sexual abuse reportedly continued until 2005, when the victim was 17.
The investigation began in late March after a report was submitted through FortifyFL, a mobile application for reporting suspicious activity.
Sexton was placed on administrative leave from his current position at Crestview High School on April 1, the day the report was filed. He later contacted the alleged victim via Facebook Messenger, writing, “Hope I didn’t mess you up,” according to the arrest warrant.
“There is no expiration date on seeking justice for victims,” said Sheriff Eric Aden in a statement. “This arrest underscores our unwavering commitment to pursuing the truth, no matter how much time has passed.”
The Okaloosa County School District said it immediately notified the Florida Department of Children and Families and law enforcement upon receiving the tip.
In a news release, Superintendent Marcus Chambers said the teacher would be recommended for suspension without pay pending the outcome of criminal proceedings.
“Our teachers are held to the highest standards,” Chambers said in a prepared statement. “Despite the significant time that has passed, if the allegations are substantiated, we will respond swiftly and appropriately. This is a zero-tolerance issue.”
Sexton is currently being held at the Okaloosa County Jail without bond.
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