Ex-teacher, coach at Eagle High School pleads guilty to sexual battery of student
A former teacher and coach at Eagle High School pleaded guilty on Tuesday to sexual battery of a child 16 or 17 years of age, and he confirmed in court that his victim was a student.
Jeff Lewis Ranstrom, 32, of Star, was initially charged with one count of rape, two counts of sexual battery with a 16- or 17-year-old, one count of sexual exploitation of a child and two counts of burglary.
All of the charges stemmed from incidents with the same victim. He allegedly entered a home with the intent to sexually abuse the girl, which led to the burglary charges.
Ranstrom’s other charges will be dismissed pursuant to a plea agreement, but he still faces a maximum sentence of up to life in prison and a $50,000 fine.
The sexual abuse Ranstrom admitted to occurred between March 26 and Aug. 21, and he was 32 at the time.
The West Ada School District confirmed that Ranstrom resigned from his teaching and coaching positions on Sept. 23.
He remains in custody at the Ada County Jail and his sentencing is set for 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 28.
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 11:06 AM.
