Babylon Teacher Charged With Raping 15-Year-Old Posts $25K Bail

BABYLON, NY — A Babylon School District teacher charged with raping a high school student in 2013 appeared in court on Friday and has been held on $25,000 cash bail, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.

Timothy Harrison, 46, of Oak Beach, was arrested and charged on Thursday with two counts of third-degree rape and one count of third-degree criminal sexual act, police said. He was then arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip, police said, where Judge Eric Sachs set his bail.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison announced in a press conference on Thursday that the arrest comes after an investigation determined that Harrison had a sexual relationship with a high school student in 2013. The student was 15 at the time, and Harrison was 38, police said.

According to the Babylon School District website, he was a special education teacher and girls' sports coach. Police said Harrison's sexual contact with the student happened off school grounds. However, the accuser also said Harrison engaged in inappropriate conduct on school property, police added.

The arrest comes months after Attorney General Letitia James launched an investigation into the district. Since October, numerous alumni have accused teachers of sexual and emotional abuse, some claims dating back to the 1980s.

Several alumni have since spoken out about the arrest, saying that while they are relieved for the accuser, they believed the school knew about Harrison's behavior for years.

Harrison is next due in court April 18.