Suspended Warwick High School music teacher and band director Todd Nicholas Sheerer walked out of a Lititz courtroom late Monday afternoon — still a free man.

The 29-year-old Sheerer was not required to post any cash bail on six counts of corruption of minors — all related to a lengthy period of alleged sexual activity involving the teacher and one of his female students.

District Judge Daniel R. Garrett of Lititz arraigned Sheerer on all the charges Monday and set $25,000 unsecured bail on each count, which allows the teacher to remain free.

As a condition of bail, Garrett told Sheerer he is to have "no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18."

Sheerer, of 3471 Coronet Ave., West Hempfield Township, will have to return to the same courtroom next Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.

At that time, Garrett will listen to police from five jurisdictions present their cases against Sheerer and then decide if the evidence is strong enough to have the teacher stand trial in Lancaster County Court.

Following the brief arraignment proceeding, defense attorney Merrill M. Spahn Jr. told reporters assembled outside the courtroom that the charges were based on the girl's disclosures to police and that the allegations might be cases of inappropriate behavior and not criminal conduct.

Authorities said the alleged relationship between Sheerer and the 17-year-old girl was discovered on Jan. 18 in the parking lot of Friendly's Restaurant, 1519 Oregon Pike, after police received an anonymous tip.

Manheim Township Police said they arrived to find the two in the back seat of a car. Sheerer, who emerged from the vehicle with his pants unzipped, told police the young woman with him was 19, according to documents.

The investigation began after police learned that she was really a 17-year-old student of Sheerer's and a band participant.

The teenager told detectives she and Sheerer had engaged in intimate sexual contact since January 2006 at locations in and around Lititz, including in the band room at Warwick High School.

The incidents initially occurred one to two times a week and progressed to four to five times a week, the girl told police, according to the affidavit of probable cause prepared by Warwick Township police Lt. Edward A.Tobin.

The Warwick Township locations included Red Oak Drive and in the parking lots of Gary Schmidt's Garage on Owl Hill Road, Scooter's Restaurant on Route 501, Rohrer's Quarry on Woodcrest Avenue, and the Holiday Inn Express on Crosswinds Drive, according to Tobin's affidavit.

In the affidavit prepared by Penn Township police Sgt. Matthew L. Weidman, the girl said that she and Sheerer would meet at various locations, would undress in a vehicle, and touch each other on the genitals and breast area.

The Penn Township locations included behind the Dollar General Store, 345 S. Main St., Manheim, and Kreider's restaurant parking lot at 1461 Lancaster Road (Route 72), Manheim, the girl told Weidman.

"An excerpt from her diary indicated that they had met on Feb. 17, 2007 at Kreider's restaurant," the Penn Township affidavit stated.

After discussions with the girl, Manheim Township and Warwick Township police filed one count each of corruption of minors against Sheerer late Thursday.

On Monday, additional counts of corruption of minors were filed — two counts by Lititz Police, and one count each by police in Manheim Borough and Penn Township.

Each count is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, the judge told Sheerer.

Sheerer, who was accompanied by his wife, was dressed in a brown shirt, pants and tie. Sitting beside Spahn, he answered the judge's questions but stared directly ahead during most of the 10-minute proceeding.

Sheerer told the judge that he had lived at his current home for three years, is married with one child, and has no prior convictions.

Asked about employment, Sheerer replied "I am suspended from the Warwick School District."

Spahn asked that his client be released on unsecured bail, pointing out that Sheerer is a lifelong resident of Lancaster County and surrendered voluntarily. The judge agreed.

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