Robertsdale Teacher Indicted

A Baldwin County grand jury has indicted a teacher and basketball coach at Central Baldwin Middle School in Robertsdale. The grand jury returned the 12-count indictment against Brian Pettibone this week. Pettibone turned himself in to police headquarters Tuesday morning.

The 12-count indictment includes enticement, sexual abuse, attempted sexual abuse and harassment. Investigators say the inappropriate contact with at least four students at the school started with text messaging and phone calls, then became physical.

"He crossed a boundary," says Sgt. Rex Bishop with the Robertsdale Police Dept. "There was actual physical contact that did occur and it did occur on the school grounds during school, after school and at extra-curricular activities centered around basketball games."

"It's a sad day that we often live in and we hear this way too frequently," says Terry Wilhite, spokesman for the Baldwin County Board of Education. "We take this seriously and when something like this happens, we take swift and appropriate action."

Baldwin County District Attorney Judy Newcomb was visibly upset when she spoke to reporters about the case...a case that could have more victims.

"Please, I know so many times these kids think I did something wrong, if you were a victim in this case, you did nothing wrong, the teacher was wrong and you need, if you could, to come forward," says Newcomb.

School officials say Pettibone has been placed on paid administrative leave and will likely be terminated.