FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – A George Ranch High School band teacher accused of improper relationships with several of his students has taken a plea deal to avoid going to jail.
Timothy Edward Lyen also sexted the teenage girls, police said. Lyen was charged with two counts of having an inappropriate relationship with a student and one of online solicitation, all of which are felonies.
Lyen, 27, admitted engaging in sexually charged relationships with two female students, both of whom were band members in the spring of 2016. One of the students at the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District school was 18 years old and the other was 15 years old.
According to the victims' families, Lyen sent texts containing nude pictures of himself soliciting sex from the two girls.
The father of the 15-year-old girl told the court Monday he discovered over 1,500 texts sent to his daughter in an eight-day period, which included photos of Lyen performing a sex act.
Lyen avoided potential prison time with the plea deal entered Monday.
In return for Lyen's plea of guilty to one of the charges, he'll serve 10 years of probation, register as a sex offender and serve 300 hours of community service.
"Mr. Lyen acknowledges what he did is wrong. And acknowledges the pain he has caused these families. And as he seeks counseling he hopes they will, too," defense attorney David W. Kiatta said.
The victims' families are not in a forgiving mood. Lyen was forced to listen to impact statements from one of the victims and three parents.
They described the families as distraught and said the victims are still depressed, anxious and undergoing therapy.
"I know you're not the slightest bit sorry for what you did. You're sorry you got caught," one mother said.
If Lyen successfully completes his probation, his criminal record will be wiped clean and he'll no longer have to register as a sex offender.
Lyen is currently living in New Braunfels in Central Texas.