A Hernando County high school teacher has been arrested on sex charges involving a child.

Todd Toomer, 40, of Spring Hill was arrested early Friday morning and held on $30,000 bail.

Toomer, a digital design teacher at Springstead High in Spring Hill, has worked for the district for 17 years. He has been charged with three counts of sexual battery.

Sheriff Al Nienhuis held a news conference this morning to release additional details.

The charges stemmed from an investigation that began earlier in the week when investigators received information that Toomer may have been having inappropriate sexual contact with a student or students in a classroom at the high school.

Nienhuis said initially both Toomer and the 17-year-old victim denied the allegations. Later in the week, the victim contacted detectives and admitted to having sexual contact with Toomer in a classroom at the high school. It wasn’t long after that Toomer, too, came forward admitting the relationship had been going on since September.

According to the arrest report, the inappropriate conduct occurred between September 15 and October 1. Nienhuis said the investigation is far from over.

“Unfortunately, we have good reason to believe that there are additional victims out there, and I would ask them if they would have the same courage as this victim and come forward,” Nienhuis said.

Sheriff Al Nienhuis encourages anyone who has been victimized by Toomer to come forward to detectives or to a representative of the Hernando County School Board (HCSB). This can be done in person or by calling HCSO at 352-754-6830 or HCSB at 352-797-7252 (Heather Martin).

Toomer was highly involved with his students outside of teaching and his neighbors we spoke with were in shock. 

“No, no, that can’t be,” said Waltraud VanDyke, a neighbor. 

Some neighbors of Toomer were stunned Friday after hearing about the scandal for the first time. 

“It’s not good, I have kids, I have daughters everything like that,” said Billy Long, a neighbor. 

Toomers has a wife and three children, all of which attend private parochial schools. 

“I thought he was a good family man, they go to church,” said VanDyke. 

On the other hand some neighbors who did not want to go on camera said they weren’t surprised by the arrest. They told us he strangely kept his two daughters always inside or out back. 

“Wer’e certainly appalled that one of our teachers could do something so reprehensible,” said Eric Williams, the Public Information Officer for Hernando County Schools. 

Toomer is a graphic design instructor at Springstead High School and has been employed at the school since 1997. He has been a coach or assistant coach for basketball, volleyball, and football, dating back to 1999. He is also known for helping out with the schools horror high haunted house.

Toomer was once reprimanded once for giving a wrong final exam. All of his students received a 95 percent or higher. 

The sheriffs say at this time they don’t believe any other adults knew or were involved in the sexual assaults. 

“I just cannot believe it, I’m crushed, I mean just for her sake too,” said VanDyke. 

Toomer has been suspended with pay until he is formally charged. He is facing three first degree felony’s punishable up to 30 years in prison. 

The school plans to have their “Care” program available, providing counselors to students, on Monday.