A former Heritage High School band director pleaded guilty Thursday to having sex with a student.
Tyler J. Benedict, 30, was escorted by his attorney from the Clark County Courthouse to the Clark County Jail after entering a guilty plea to one count of sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree.
Sentencing was set for Nov. 19.
Benedict has been out of custody, but state law requires sex offenders to be taken into custody pending sentencing, said Superior Court Judge Roger Bennett.
Benedict was arrested this summer.
He’d worked as the band teacher at Heritage, which is part of Evergreen Public Schools, for three years.
Previously he’d taught at Columbia River High School in Vancouver Public Schools.
In his statement of guilt, Benedict said that between June 15 and July 15 he had sexual relations with a 17-year-old student.
While the age of consent in Washington is 16, Benedict was prosecuted because the facts of his case fell within the bounds of a state law criminalizing sexual contact between teachers and students.
According to investigators from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the girl’s parents discovered inappropriate text and computer messages between their daughter and Benedict. Upon questioning, the girl disclosed to detectives “that her relationship with Benedict became romantic and sexual.”
At the time of his arrest, Benedict was living in Ridgefield with his wife. According to court records, his wife filed for divorce in Cowlitz County Superior Court shortly after his arrest.
While his crime carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, the standard sentencing range for first-time offenders is six to 12 months in jail.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jeff McCarty said he will recommend a nine-month sentence.
After his release, Benedict will have to register as a sex offender.
While Heritage has a new band director, Benedict remains on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the district’s complaint against him that was filed with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, said Jerry Piland, director of certified personnel for the Evergreen district.
The OSPI’s Office of Professional Practices has to formally revoke Benedict’s teaching certificate.
Other teachers who have pleaded guilty to felony crimes have surrendered their teaching certificate. Benedict has not done that yet, Piland said.
Piland said the school district has received limited information from law enforcement and needed to wait to see what was going to happen with Benedict’s case.
Stephanie Rice: 360-735-4508 or stephanie.rice@columbian.com.
