Another Vina Teacher Accused of Having Sex With Student

Brian Scott Keeton

RUSSELLVILLE-Brian Scott Keeton, 38  the Vina High School boys basketball coach became the second teacher from the school in less than a week to be arrested for an alleged sexual relationship with a student.  Keeton was  arrested Wednesday afternoon and charged with one count of being a school employee engaging in a sexual act with a student under the age of 19.   This charge is a  Class B felony which carries a  2 to 20 year  prison sentence  if convicted.

Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver said Keeton is accused of having sex with a  17-year-old female student on one occasion and  the alleged incident did not take place on school grounds.  Sheriff Oliver said the sheriff’s office was made aware of the allegations through the investigation of Sonny Tibbs, who was arrested on three counts of the same charge after law enforcement officials discovered he had allegedly been sexually involved with a 17-year-old Vina  high school senior.

“While our investigators were following up on the allegations against Mr. Tibbs, information came to light that indicated Mr. Keeton had also been involved in a sexual relationship with a different student at Vina,” Oliver said.  Oliver said investigators spoke with the 17-year-old student on Wednesday morning before picking Keeton up at Vina High School for questioning. Oliver said Keeton denied the allegations against him.  Keeton is currently in custody at the Franklin County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

The age of 16 is the age of consent under Alabama law, but a bill sponsored by Representative Demetrius Newton (D-Birmingham) and signed into law by Governor Bob Riley in 2010 made it a felony for a teacher to have a sexual relationship with a student under the age of 19 based on the position of trust and authority a teacher has over a student.