Chula Vista

A former Pentecostal minister pleaded no contest Thursday to two counts of misdemeanor child molestation stemming from the sexual abuse of the man’s stepdaughter.

Lyn Meche, 39, of San Diego admitted that he molested the girl when she was 17 years old, even though he pleaded no contest, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Caryn Rosen.

In exchange for the plea, four felony child-abuse charges against the former preacher of the South Bay Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista were dropped. He faces a maximum of one year in County jail when he is sentenced April 18.

Rosen said she agreed to drop the felony charges because of potential problems in identifying when the molestation began and to protect the victim from testifying.

The primary difference between felony and misdemeanor child molestation is the age of the victim, Rosen said. The victim, who is now 18 years old, would have had to recall dates from when she was 13 years old in order to get a felony conviction, she said.

“The majority of the sexual activity occurred when she was over 14,” Rosen said.