Nampa teacher arrested, charged with two felony counts of sexual battery of a minor

A Ridgevue High School teacher and football coach has been charged with two felony counts of sexual battery of a minor child, according to court filings.

On Thursday evening, Troy McFadden, 46, was taken into custody by the Nampa Police Special Enforcement Team and transported to the Canyon County jail following an investigation by the department that determined McFadden had inappropriate contact with a 17-year-old female student.

He’s facing a $500,000 bond, which 3rd Judicial District Magistrate Judge Chad Gulstrom set at an initial hearing Friday afternoon. This was at the request of the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, which argued that a higher bond was necessary given the “extremely serious nature of these charges” and the fact that McFadden is employed at a school.

If he’s able to pay his bond, he’ll have to wear an ankle monitor. Gulstrom, who specializes in criminal and family law, also issued a no-contact order restricting him from contacting or being within 900 feet of the student, all other minor children and the high school.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, written by Nampa Police Detective Roman Lyon, the investigation began after the agency received a report that students from Ridgevue High School observed McFadden and the identified minor “hugging in a romantic way” at a restaurant located on North Marketplace Boulevard in Nampa.

McFadden had his hands on the teen’s waist, while she had her hands on his shoulders, the affidavit said. No photos were taken of this incident, but the reporting party shared photos with the police department of McFadden and the girl sitting together at a picnic table that same day.

Once McFadden noticed the children taking photos, he allegedly walked toward them, saying, “Hey, what are you guys doing?” The affidavit said McFadden and the teen got into his car and drove away.

In an interview with the girl’s mother, Lyon wrote that he learned McFadden had shown up to the minor’s apartment complex “late at night” while her mother was at work. Her mother also told the detective that her daughter had been wearing a ring given to her by McFadden, which she described as resembling a wedding band, according to the affidavit.

On June 4, Lyon spoke with the teen, who identified McFadden as her criminal justice teacher at Ridgevue High School. She said that her and McFadden’s relationship “began developing” during the second semester of the school year while she was enrolled in his class, progressing from conversations in his classroom to McFadden walking her home from work., the affidavit said.

She also noted that he would frequently drive her home in his vehicle and that they would communicate “extensively” through Instagram late at night.

The girl added that McFadden would tell her “I love you,” “I miss you” and that he “wants her” throughout their contact, and that he would not “say something if he doesn’t mean it,” she told the detective. He gave her various personal gifts, according to the affidavit.

McFadden told the teen their relationship reminded him of the beginning of the relationship he had with his wife and that “kissing her came naturally,” according to the affidavit. McFadden would peck her on the mouth when he walked her home from work and they would hold hands on occasion, she told the detective, according to the court document.

There were “extensive” messages between McFadden and the girl on her cellphone, the affidavit said. According to texts, which were recovered by law enforcement, McFadden directed the girl to keep things a secret and would schedule meetings around times when her mother was not home. They met at least seven times in person, the texts revealed, though detectives believe there were more.

In April, administrators at Ridgevue High School solicited written statements from two students enrolled in McFadden’s criminal justice class.

One student wrote that McFadden had gotten “really close” with the underage girl, adding that she would sit at McFadden’s desk during class. They observed McFadden and the minor spending break and lunch together during the school day, adding that other students in the class noticed this behavior as well, the student wrote.

They called this situation “very creepy,” the student said.

Another student wrote the “student-teacher relationship” between McFadden and the teen was an “ongoing concern over the past couple of months” in a statement, adding that during class McFadden and the girl would touch each other and have “interactions that made students uncomfortable.”

While investigators believe this is an isolated incident and have no indication of other possible victims, Nampa police said they encourage parents to speak with their children who may have had contact with McFadden and to report any possible inappropriate conduct.

McFadden’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 26 at 8:30 a.m. at the Canyon County Courthouse.