A Ridgevue High School teacher and football coach has been charged with two felony charges of sexual battery on a minor child, according to court documents.
Troy McFadden, 46, was arrested by the Nampa Police Special Enforcement Team on Thursday evening and transferred to the Canyon County Jail after the department conducted an investigation that revealed McFadden had criminal contact with a 17-year-old female student.
3rd Judicial District Magistrate Judge Chad Gulstrom set a $500,000 bond during an initial hearing on Friday afternoon. The Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office requested a higher bond, citing the “grave nature of these charges” and McFadden’s employment at a school.
If he is able to pay his bond, he must wear an ankle monitor. Gulstrom, who practices criminal and family law, also issued a no-contact order, prohibiting him from contacting or being within 900 feet of the student, all other young children, and the high school.
According to Nampa Police Detective Roman Lyon’s affidavit of probable cause, the investigation began after the agency received a report that Ridgevue High School students saw McFadden and the identified minor “hugging in a romantic way” at a restaurant on North Marketplace Boulevard in Nampa.
According to the affidavit, McFadden held the teen’s waist, and she held his shoulders. No images were taken during this occurrence; however, the reporting party provided the police department with photos of McFadden and the girl sitting together at a picnic table that same day.
When McFadden observed the children snapping photos, he allegedly approached them and asked, “Hey, what are you guys doing?” According to the complaint, McFadden and the teenager got into his car and drove away.
Lyon stated that in a conversation with the girl’s mother, he discovered McFadden had arrived at the minor’s apartment complex “late at night” when her mother was working. Her mother reportedly told the detective that her daughter had been wearing a ring given to her by McFadden that she described as like a wedding band, according to the affidavit.
Lyon spoke with the teen on June 4, and she recognized McFadden as her criminal justice instructor at Ridgevue High. She said that her relationship with McFadden “began developing” during the second semester of the school year while she was enrolled in his class, progressing from classroom chats to McFadden walking her home from work, according to the affidavit.
She further stated that he frequently drove her home in his vehicle and that they communicated “extensively” late at night over Instagram.
The girl also stated that McFadden would tell her “I love you” and “I miss you” and that he “wants her” throughout their interactions and that he would not “say something if he doesn’t mean it,” she told the detective. He offered her various personal items, according to the affidavit.
McFadden told the youngster that their relationship reminded him of the beginning of his relationship with his wife and that “kissing her came naturally,” according to the affidavit. According to the court statement, McFadden would peck her on the mouth as he walked her home from work, and they would occasionally hold hands.
According to the complaint, McFadden and the girl exchanged “extensive” communications on her cellphone. According to texts seized by police law, McFadden instructed the girl to keep things quiet and organize meetings around times when her mother was not there. The texts revealed that they met at least seven times in person, but detectives believe there were more.
Ridgevue High School authorities asked two students in McFadden’s criminal justice class for written comments in April.
One student stated that McFadden had become “really close” to the young girl and that she would sit at McFadden’s desk during class. They watched McFadden and the minor taking breaks and eating lunch together during the school day, and other students in the class noted the behavior as well, the student wrote.
They described the scene as “very creepy,” according to the student.
Another student stated that the “student-teacher relationship” between McFadden and the teen had been an “ongoing concern over the past couple of months” and that during class, McFadden and the girl would touch each other and have “interactions that made students uncomfortable.”
While investigators believe this is a unique occurrence with no other potential victims, Nampa police say they ask parents to speak with their children who may have had contact with McFadden and report any inappropriate behavior.
McFadden’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 26 at 8:30 a.m. in the Canyon County Courthouse.
According to the Vallivue School District, which governs Ridgevue, McFadden’s teaching contract has not been renewed for the following school year.
“The district is grateful that concerns were reported to law enforcement, allowing authorities to investigate the matter and helping support the safety and well-being of children in our community,” Superintendent Lisa Boyd stated in a press release. “The safety and well-being of students remain the district’s highest priority.”
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