A man accused of sexually assaulting 13 girls has been sentenced to three years in prison, plus fifteen years of probation on Friday, KGUN9 sister station KNXV reports.
Tyler Kost was 18 when he was arrested in 2014, accused of sexually assaulting 13 girls between the ages of 12 and 17. Kost was a student at Poston Butte High School in San Tan Valley at the time of the arrest.
Most of the charges against him were dismissed, however a plea deal was reached Jan. 6 between the two parties, in which Kost agreed to plead guilty to attempted sexual conduct against a minor and child abuse.
"Tyler has admitted to engaging in consensual acts with girls who were his peers and two are very close in age to him. Under Arizona law even consensual behavior can be a criminal offense," Joey Hamby, Kost's attorney, previously said.
His parents at his Friday sentencing pleaded with the judge to allow Kost to return home, and consider he 1,017 days as time served.
Kost's defense team alleged the 13 girls involved in the case conspired to frame him for "being a player." In court, prosecutors said there were only five victims in this case, and there was no conspiracy against him.
Kost has spent most of the last two years behind bars. A judge said Friday that he will get a credit of 990 days behind bars for his sentence.
A judge says Kost must also register as a sex offender.
