A man accused of sexually assaulting 13 girls was sentenced to three years in prison, plus 15 years of probation on Friday.
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.
Hamby also said paperwork has already been filed to get Kost out of prison.
His parents at his Friday sentencing pleaded with the judge to allow Kost to return home, and consider the 1,017 days already behind bars 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.
According to his attorneys, the victims made plans over Facebook to "frame" Kost after watching the movie "John Tucker Must Die." The movie is about a group of girls getting revenge after a man supposedly wronged them.
Kost also made a statement during the sentencing and apologized for his actions.
"I'm so sorry for the pain I've caused everyone," he said. "I spent most of the last three years in jail thinking about what happened. I took every class I could while I was in jail and I'm looking forward to every program probation gives me to better myself."
His father also added that Kost has read 140 books during his time behind bars.
Several of the victims and their family members also spoke out during the sentencing.
One of the victims, Kost's ex-girlfriend, said she had consensual sex with Kost but was also raped.
"Let me make it perfectly clear to you, your parents, this court and the media — on Nov. 6 2012, a 15-year-old girl lost her innocence, a 15-year-old girl was stripped of her pride, a 15-year-old girl was humiliated," the unidentified woman said.
She also called him a "con-artist" and described him as being a "disturbed, sick and demented human being."
Another girl said she has had suicidal thoughts since being sexually assaulted and has undergone treatment in a mental health facility. She said she had aspired to make the swim team during her first year in college but continues to be haunted by the incident.
A judge said Friday that he will get a credit of 990 days behind bars for his sentence.
Kost must also register as a sex offender.
