CALDWELL -- A youth pastor and teacher at a Caldwell church was sentenced to 11 1/2 years in prison Monday for having a sexual relationship with an underage girl.
Casey Dyck, 24, will be eligible for parole after serving 1 1/2 years of the sentence. Prosecutors say his victim, who was 16 or 17 years old, was Dyck's student at Centennial Baptist School.
The pair had sexual contact several times at the school and at Dyck's home in Caldwell. The defendant also sent sexual photos and texts to multiple underage students. One victim told police Dyck promised her extra credit is she wore low-cut tops and short skirts to school.
He was arrested in February after an investigation by Caldwell Police.
Prosecutor Bryan Taylor characterized Dyck's actions as grooming the girls for sexual relationships.
"Mr. Dyck used his position of trust as a teacher and youth pastor to groom these young girls and then take advantage of them," he said in a statement. "I'm thankful that the court can see the damage he's caused them, and for that, he deserves to be behind bars."
Judge Bradley Ford also admonished the defendant at sentencing for using his position of authority to pursue sexual relationships with teenagers.
"When people make selfish decisions to try to gratify themselves at the expense of a child, it has lifelong implications," Ford said. "It is concerning to this court that someone in a position of authority who is supposed to be a moral leader, an educational leader, would exploit them."
In addition to the prison time, Dyck was ordered to register as a sex offender and have no contact with his victims or any other underage girls.
