Former Ohio music pastor Caleb Flynn was sentenced to life without parole Monday after a jury convicted him of killing his wife, Ashley, during an affair with a woman who had worked as an intern at his church.

Flynn, 40, was sentenced in an Ohio courtroom after jurors found him guilty last week of murdering his 37-year-old wife, a schoolteacher and volleyball coach, at their home in Tipp City, north of Dayton.

The judge said Flynn had used his Christian faith to manipulate people and showed no remorse for what prosecutors described as a crime involving “layers of deceit, manipulation and cruelty.”

Flynn became emotional during Monday’s sentencing and apologized to his family, beginning with his two young daughters, who were home when their mother was shot in her sleep. He described their births as the “greatest joy in this life” but continued to maintain that he did not kill his wife.

“As I stand here before God, who is my ultimate judge, I am not lying when I say I did not kill my wife,” Flynn said.

Prosecutors argued that Flynn staged a home invasion in February and attempted to make it appear that a burglar had killed Ashley. They said he wanted to end his marriage so he could pursue a relationship with his lover.

Alleigha Botner testified during the trial that she met Flynn in 2022 when she was a 20-year-old intern at his church. The two began an affair that lasted more than a year, and Botner told jurors Flynn said he hated his wife and had considered killing her.

Prosecutors also presented a text Flynn allegedly sent Botner the night before the shooting: “I choose you. I'm free. Actions will come tomorrow.”

Flynn did not testify during the trial, and his defense argued that investigators had not found the gun used to kill Ashley and had no direct evidence proving he fired it.

Prosecutors countered that Flynn’s fingerprints and DNA were found at the scene and that data from his electronic devices showed him moving around the home at times that contradicted his account that he was asleep when the shooting occurred.

The jury convicted Flynn of multiple charges, including murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

Ashley’s family members spoke in favor of the maximum sentence while saying they had forgiven Flynn because they did not want hatred to define her legacy.

Her sister, Kayla Keyt, said the killing had deeply affected their church community, including children who became afraid that their fathers could harm their mothers.

Flynn’s daughter Ava described her mother as “the perfect person” in a statement read in court. Another daughter, Alyssa, said she would not visit Flynn in prison.

Flynn previously appeared briefly on “American Idol” in 2013, where he credited Ashley with encouraging him to pursue his singing ambitions. He did not advance to the Hollywood stage of the competition.