Former religion teacher at Wichita Christian school pleads guilty in student sex case
A former teacher at a private Christian school in Wichita pleaded guilty last week to one count of unlawful sexual relations with a 16-year-old student.
Matthew McFarren, 43, will be sentenced Aug. 5. He entered the plea on Friday, Sedgwick County District Court records show.
McFarren was a high-school level religion teacher and assistant soccer coach at Trinity Academy, a K-12 school at 12345 E. 21st St., until his illegal relationship with the teenage girl came to light early last year. According to McFarren’s arrest affidavit, the girl told authorities she’d stayed in contact with McFarren after taking one of his classes, met him in public places, accepted several gifts from him including an infinity ring, and spoke with him over social media.
In one social media conversation described in the affidavit, McFarren talked about showering with the girl, getting married and told her he kept his job at the school so he could be with her there for another year.
The relationship turned sexual before Christmas 2020, the affidavit says the girl told police.
In Kansas, it’s illegal for a K-12 teacher to have sex with a student enrolled at their school, regardless of the student’s age.
In addition to teaching, McFarren had also served as a youth pastor at several churches, The Eagle previously reported.
The presumptive sentence for an unlawful sexual relations conviction is 31 to 136 months, depending on a defendant’s criminal history. Prosecutors plan to ask the judge to send McFarren to prison when he is sentenced, his plea agreement says, but he could be put on probation.
