Former teacher gets probation

A former high school teacher arrested in the prostitution sting that ensnared a Council Bluffs city councilman was convicted Friday and sentenced to one year of probation.

The bench trial of Daniel Patrick Lynch, 39, of Glenwood, Iowa, began Monday.

District Associate Judge Charles Fagan filed a written order finding Lynch guilty of prostitution, Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said.

Lynch was a social studies teacher at Riverside High School, which serves the Iowa towns of Carson, Macedonia and Oakland. He also coached baseball and basketball.

The school district suspended him with pay following his arrest, and Lynch later resigned, said James Sutton, superintendent of the Riverside Community School District.

Lynch was one of six men ticketed in a February prostitution sting at a Council Bluffs motel. They had responded to a Craigslist ad that showed an image of a scantily clad woman.

A jury in May found Councilman Darren Bates not guilty of soliciting a prostitute.

Bates also was an Omaha firefighter and head of the Omaha firefighters union at the time of his arrest. He lost those positions.

He is seeking reinstatement to his job and remains on the City Council.

Contact the writer:

444-1022, katie.fretland@owh.com