CALDWELL, Idaho — A criminal charge against former football coach Kip Crofts was dismissed in Canyon County court on Tuesday, ending a case that had been headed to trial next week.
Watch: Learn about the case dismissal and reaction from minors father
The dismissal came during a scheduled status conference.
Prosecutors told the judge newly discovered information meant they could no longer prove an essential element of the charge, sexual abuse of a child under 16, even at the probable cause level.
Without that proof, the state moved to dismiss the indictment, and the judge granted the motion, stating dismissal “would serve the ends of justice.”
Crofts, 59, was arrested in June 2025 by the Nampa Police Department, which at the time said it was investigating allegations that Crofts exposed himself to a 14-year-old student while watching explicit material in a Caldwell High School classroom.
READ MORE | Caldwell High School football coach arrested for sexual abuse of a child under 16
Prosecutors acknowledged in court that information uncovered during final trial preparation changed their ability to establish intent — a required component of the felony charge. The judge noted the classroom was locked rather than open, a distinction that affected the intent analysis.
With the dismissal, Crofts’ no-contact order that applied to all minors was lifted, and he was released from all other pretrial restrictions.
Outside the courtroom, the alleged victims' father, who asked to remain anonymous to protect his child's identity, told Idaho News 6 that the outcome leaves his family feeling unheard.
“We’re disappointed in how this was handled, that the truth didn’t get out," the father said. "They failed my daughter… It’s not about us. It’s about the kids at the school.”
Crofts' lawyer maintained the former coach's innocence.
It is easy to accuse someone of a crime, but Kip Crofts was never guilty of this crime and the government dismissing it before trial proves that.
For Canyon County happenings, news, and more— join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News - Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton