Former Warwick High School band instructor Michael Gottier has waived his right to a preliminary hearing and is headed for trial in Lancaster County Court on allegations he had intimate contact with a 16-year-old student.

Gottier, 22, was charged Nov. 13 with one count of corruption of minors for allegedly having inappropriate contact with the female band member on several occasions in September at Speedwell Forge Lake.

His arrest came a month after former Warwick band director Todd Sheerer pleaded guilty to six counts of corruption of minors for engaging in a two-year sexual relationship with one of his students.

Sheerer, who was fired April 1, is awaiting sentencing.

Gottier, of Kutztown, waived his right to a hearing Tuesday before Lititz District Judge Daniel Garrett, who released him on $25,000 bail.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 28 in county court.

According to an arrest affidavit, Gottier began communicating with the girl via cellular phone, text messages and Facebook, the Internet social networking site.

Gottier had physical contact with the alleged victim "various times" from Sept. 22 to 27, according to the affidavit.

Their first encounter began when Gottier picked up the girl in his car at Freeze and Frizz restaurant in Lititz and drove to Speedwell Forge Lake, investigators said.

Gottier and the girl kissed in his car, then walked toward the Speedwell dam off Zartman Mill Road, where he touched the girl's breasts and genitals, according to the affidavit.

In a later encounter, Gottier picked up the girl at Lititz Springs Park, drove to the lake and took her onto the trails off Speedwell Forge Road, where they kissed, investigators said.

Gottier told police he knew the girl was 16 when he began the relationship, investigators said.

The alleged victim, who has not been identified because she is a minor, told investigators she believed Gottier loved her.

The girl also confided that she and Gottier "surreptitiously met and communicated together several times a day" and touched and kissed each other, the affidavit said.

Warwick officials said the district received information Sept. 27 that Gottier "may have had inappropriate contact with a student."

That day, the district banned Gottier from school property and forbade him from having any contact or interaction with students.

On Sept. 29, the district notified Lititz Borough police, who began investigating.

Warwick school board fired Gottier on Oct. 21, retroactive to Sept. 30.

He faces a maximum prison sentence of five years.

In addition to Gottier and Sheerer, two other music or choir directors at Lancaster County public schools have been charged in the past year with having inappropriate relationships with their students.

Norman McMillan III, former gospel choir director at McCaskey High School, is accused of having sex with a McCaskey student for more than a year, beginning in November 2005, at several city locations, including the high school.

Robert E. Richards, former music teacher and band director at Columbia Junior/Senior High School, is accused of having several sexual encounters with a Columbia student in 2007, when she was 15 and 16 years old, in the high school and at his home.

Richards and McMillan are awaiting trial.

E-mail: bwallace@lnpnews.com