A teacher and city councilman in Barnwell County is charged with molesting a child.

Tuesday, Steve Walling said he was on administrative leave from Barnwell Elementary School.

Walling is accused of molesting a young girl at the school while she was in the 4th grade, but some in the small city are questioning the charges.

Investigators say Walling abused the girl between August of 2006 and May of this year on more than one occasion.

Parents say Walling is a health teacher at the school. He also helps coach the middle school football team in Barnwell County. He was elected to Barnwell's city council just three months ago.

Some parents and students in the small town say it's not in Walling's character to abuse a child. Others say they're waiting to see how this case unfolds.

"He's not the kind of person who would do something like that. I've known him all my life. He never even touched me. I don't think he did it honestly," said Lynnsey Jamison a student at Barnwell's Middle School.

"He's supposed to be an upstanding citizen on the city council and a teacher at the elementary school. You wouldn't think he'd do anything like that, but if he did that's unfortunate and he needs to be punished for it," said parent Sandy Eichberg.

NBC Augusta spoke with Walling's wife over the phone. She says he does have a comment, but has been instructed by his lawyer not to speak right now.

She says he has no plans to step down from his seat on the city council, but he will if he is asked to.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating.