Brendan William Toop, 40, of North Port, was adjudicated guilty of Sexual Activity with a Child and sentenced to 4 years in prison, followed by 8 years of sex offender probation. He is
also now designated a Sexual Predator for life. The former high school teacher must also forfeit his State pension due to this conviction.
In 2017, Toop committed sexual battery on a student in a school building in Charlotte County. He started the contact through text messages, then social media. One day when the student wanted to speak to him about an issue at school, Toop locked the classroom door, inviting the student into a classroom closet. He locked that door too and the battery took place.
The Punta Gorda Police Department was made aware of the incidents after the student graduated and began an investigation leading to the teacher’s arrest.
Assistant State Attorney Michael Colombo Jr. prosecuted the case