A former youth pastor in Kingsburg was sentenced Tuesday to serve one year in prison for having an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old church member. Luke Michael Bese, 30, was convicted in May on one felony charge of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd or lascivious behavior and a misdemeanor charge of annoying, molesting any child under 18 years of age.
Bese, who worked as a youth leader at Hope Kingsburg Church, began a secret relationship with the 16-year-old that included sending her lingerie from Victoria’s Secret, a sex toy, and condoms. Bese, who is married, also requested that the teenager send him photos of herself in the lingerie. The relationship lasted nearly eight months, beginning July 29, 2018 and ending March 28, 2019. Bese was arrested on June 8, 2020.