Former youth pastor sentenced for sexually abusing teenage girl
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MERIDIAN — A former youth pastor in Meridian has been sentenced to serve at least 20 years in prison for the repeated sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl he knew through his church and family connections.
Isaiah Teague, 25, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to one count of felony lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor. District Judge Cynthia Yee-Wallace ordered Teague to serve life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years.
According to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, the yearlong abuse began in June 2024. Teague, who served as a youth pastor and was a trusted family friend of the victim and her family, groomed the teenager with inappropriate touching and kissing that escalated into repeated sexual assaults. The crimes occurred inside Teague’s home, even as his wife and child slept nearby.
Teague reportedly used threats to silence the victim, warning her that he would make her “disappear” if she disclosed the abuse. Those intimidation tactics proved effective until the victim’s mother discovered incriminating messages on her daughter’s phone, where the girl had confided in a friend about the assaults.
During the investigation by Meridian Police detectives, Teague admitted to the sexual conduct but repeatedly described it as consensual.
Judge Yee-Wallace highlighted the gravity of the offenses, the profound and lasting physical and emotional harm inflicted on the victim, and Teague’s lack of genuine remorse. The judge found that he minimized his actions, shifted blame to the victim, and represented a high risk of reoffending.
She described his behavior as “offensive to justice,” particularly given the betrayal involved in exploiting a position of trust while publicly teaching youth about morality.
“This defendant held himself out as a trusted adult while repeatedly sexually abusing a child and using threats to keep her silent,” Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said. “The court’s sentence reflects the profound betrayal involved, the permanent harm to the victim, and the necessity of protecting the community from further abuse.”
In addition to the life sentence, the court issued a 50-year no-contact order barring Teague from any communication with the victim or any minor children.