Nov. 27—GOSHEN — A former Bethany Christian Schools employee will serve two years in prison for child enticement, a Level 5 felony.
Goshen police said they were made aware of a child recruitment incident involving the teacher. Detectives investigated and on April 30, Kyle D. Snyder, 27, of Goshen, was arrested at his home.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, the parents of a 17-year-old Christian student from Bethany heard about “inappropriate contact” between Snyder and their daughter. Snyder was the assistant theater director for the middle school and high school.
About a year and a half ago, the statement said, the girl met Snyder in one of her theater classes while Snyder was an assistant theater director. The affidavit also stated that he was the girl’s teacher in 2023, when she was 16 years old. He then began tutoring her in math, the parents told police. In August/September, the affidavit states, the parents began to feel bad about Snyder and their daughter’s relationship. Thanks to text messages they found on their daughter’s phone, they believe the relationship became physical in October or November of that year, the affidavit states.
They initially reported the incident to Syracuse police, with the girl saying the sexual contact continued through April 21 and took place primarily at Snyder’s home, where he lives with his parents. His parents were in another room at the time, the statement said.
With the family’s permission, Goshen police searched the girl’s phone. As of April 2023, there were 34,000 text messages, many of which were sexually explicit, the affidavit said.
The affidavit also states that the officer conducted an interview with the principal of Bethany Christian Schools, who said Snyder was fired in February for inappropriate comments he made to other students during a math tutoring session outside the school. These students were 15-18 years old.
Snyder pleaded guilty but mentally ill to child enticement, a level 5 felony, and four other charges were dismissed on September 26. Snyder was sentenced Oct. 22 to six years in the Indiana Department of Corrections, with four years suspended for reporting probation. .
