Archive for September, 2009
(06/09/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Keith Lorraine Gillins, 61, a former English teacher and boys’ basketball coach at Millard High School in Fillmore, Utah has reportedly been arrested on allegations of a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female student.
Reportedly, Gillins may be officially charged today with two counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and faces the possibility of additional charges later as police continue their investigation.
According to a school district spokesperson, Gillins’ employment contract ended with the school year last month and Gillins currently has no employment status with the district.
Reportedly, Gillins is also a former Mayor of Fillmore, Utah..
A charge of unlawful sexual activity with a minor carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison if convicted.
06/10/09 – Initial Court Appearance
Keith Gillins has reportedly made an initial court appearance on two counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old.
The alleged crimes are said to have occurred on November 17, 2008 and January 1, 2009.
Gillins’ next court date is set for July 8th, at which time he will announce whether he does or does not want a preliminary hearing.
Reportedly, Gillins was released on bail on Tuesday.
07/10/09 – Additional Charges
Keith Gillins, charged last month with two counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old, has been charged with 15 additional felony offenses.
Prosecutors have reportedly filed an amended criminal complaint charging Gillins with four counts of first-degree felony rape and 11 counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse. The rape counts carry a maximum sentence of up to life in prison and the forcible sexual abuse counts carry a maximum of 15 years-per count.
Gillins remains free on $10,000 bond associated with the original charges and has a court appearance scheduled for July 22nd.
The new charges allege offenses between October 5, 2008 and April 9, 2009.
07/21/09 – More Charges, Another Arrest
Keith Lorraine Gillins, already charged in Millard County with four counts of first-degree felony rape and 11 counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse, has now been charged in Juab County with one count of rape and two counts of forcible sodomy.
It is alleged that Gillins rented a motel room in Nephi on Easter weekend and invited the girl there to have sex by sending her a text message.
Investigators say that motel records confirm the rental and it is alleged that Gillins admitted to police that he had sex with the girl there.
Reportedly, Gillins was once again jailed in the wake of the latest charges.
08/19/09 – Guilty Pleas
Keith Gillins has pleaded guilty to charges involving a sexual relationship with one of his female students.
In the Millard County case, Gillins pleaded guilty to one count of attempted rape and two counts of sexual abuse.
In the Juab County case, Gillins pleaded guilty to attempted rape and attempted sodomy.
Gillins faces a maximum sentence of from three years to life in prison and is being held in custody pending sentencing.
09/30/09 – Sentencing
Keith Gillins has been sentenced.
As specified under the terms of the plea deal, Gillins was sentenced to prison for a term of 3 years to life on each of five counts with all sentenced to run concurrently.
Gillins attorney gave a very long argument, asking for a year in jail followed by probation.
(8/13/07 – Initial BBT Report)
Mark Zana, 39, a former fifth-grade teacher at Newton Elementary School and Kesterson Elementary School in Henderson, Nevada charged with nine counts of lewdness and 11 counts of child pornography has been found guilty on 10 of the 21 counts.
The guilty verdicts were returned on charges of both lewdness with a child and possession of sexual photos of a minor.
Sentencing is set for October 4th.
Zana was arrested in September 2005 after a former student who moved to Colorado confided in her mother about improper contact with her teacher, Mark Zana, while the student was attending school in Henderson, Nevada. Colorado authorities contacted Nevada authorities which initiated an investigation.
During the ensuing investigation Henderson Police detectives served a search warrant at Zana’s home taking his computers which were then subject to forensic analysis which allegedly revealed images and video clips of suspected child pornography.
During the course of the investigation detectives spoke with students and former students about the touching allegations and discovered an additional alleged victim.
During a preliminary hearing for Zana in December 2005 the original alleged victim who was a second-grader when Zana taught her in 1998 testified that Zana, who often used candies as a reward for students, on one occasion asked her during class whether she wanted a Jolly Rancher. The girl says that she replied “Yes” and that Zana had her reach into his pocket to retrieve the candy. The girl testified, “After I touched his penis, I grabbed a Jolly Rancher. I kind of looked at him, and he just kind of raised his eyebrows and smirked. But he didn’t stop me”.
A then 13-year-old former student of Zana’s testified to a similar experience testifying that “she stuck her hand in Zana’s pants pocket to play with his keys during reading time. Instead Zana guided her hand until it met his penis”.
As the investigation and case against Zana proceeded, a total of six female alleged victims were discovered over the course of his years teaching in the Clark County School District. Zana was initially hired in 1996 to teach at Newton Elementary School. In 1999, he transferred to Kesterson Elementary School.
Also discovered during this case was that Mark Zana faced similar accusations in 1993 while teaching in Pennsylvania. There Zana was accused of corruption of minors and indecent assault. There under an agreement reached in court, Zana was allowed to enter a program called “Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, a program for first-time offenders. By his participation in that program it made it possible for him to have the incident erased from his criminal record. Records of his arrest and criminal history were expunged making it impossible for the Clark County School District in Nevada to learn of his past history when he was hired there in 1996.
9/12/07 – Sentencing Postponed
On 9/11/07 District Judge Jackie Glass postponed the sentencing of Mark Zana to allow for further investigation into the possibility that a member of the jury had researched Zana on the Internet during the trial.
This information was provided to the judge’s staff by another jury member and requires a full investigation by the court.
Zana’s defense attorney Tom Pitaro, who has filed a motion for a new trial and says “There’s no doubt in my mind that he (the juror) Googled Zana.”.
Judge Glass has order all records containing juror names sealed, order the attorneys to have no contact with the former jurors and stated she intends to bring all 12 of them into court to and to question them separately to determine if the allegation is true.
12/20/07 – Sentencing
Today Mark Zana was sentenced to 22 years in prison without the possibility of parole for molesting female students and possessing child pornography.
Zana was unsuccessful in his attempt at getting his conviction over-turned because a juror researched the case online.
09/30/09 – Appeal Denied
Last week, the Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously rejected an appeal filed by Mark Zana that challenged the three lewdness with minors charges and six possession of child pornography charges for which he was convicted in December 2007.
References:
Ex-teacher loses challenge to case (09/25/09)
Former Henderson teacher sentenced to 22 years (12/20/07)
Former Teacher Mark Zana Sentenced to 22 Years (12/20/07)
Clark County Elementary Teacher May Get New Sex Abuse Trial (9/12/07)
Former teacher found guilty of lewdness, child pornography (8/13/07)
Background:
Teacher Arrested for Child Pornography
Girls tell court of touching by teacher (12/07/07)
SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES: Arrests raise concerns (10/01/05)
School District Responds to Arrests of Two Employees
(08/05/08 – Initial BBT Report)
Joshua Joseph Long, 30, girls’ basketball coach at East Newton High School in Granby, Missouri has been charged with second-degree statutory rape of a 16-year-old female.
Long who was only recently hired by the school district has resigned in the wake of his arrest. The upcoming season would have been his first.
It is alleged that Long has sex with the girl in the kitchen of his home on June 12th.
It is reported that when initially questioned by police, Long denied sexual contact with the girl but subsequently admitted to having sex with her three times at his home.
The girl reportedly told investigators that she and Long had been exchanging text messages about having sex before she went to his home for the first sexual encounter.
Reportedly Long and the girl exchanged nude pictures via cellphone.
Webmaster’s note: Age of consent in Missouri is 17-years-old.
(09/30/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Zachary George, 26, a former history and social studies teacher and assistant football coach at Chouteau High School in Chouteau, Oklahoma has reportedly been arrested on allegations of the sexual assault of a 17-year-old female student.
Reportedly, George has been charged with child sexual abuse.
It is alleged that George touched the girl’s breasts and vaginal area and had her touch him.
It is further alleged that he later asked her for oral sex.
Reportedly, the incidents are alleged to have taken place on August 26th and 27th, shortly after the beginning of the new school year, which was George’s first with the Chouteau School District.
On August 28, the school district received a formal complaint against George and the school superintendent suspended George that same day. Reportedly, George immediately tendered his resignation. Rather than accept George’s resignation, the school board voted to terminate George at its next scheduled meeting.
George’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 15th.
Following his arrest and booking, George was released on $10,000 bond.
Prior to beginning work in Chouteau, George reportedly worked as a teacher and coach in the Kellyville, Oklahoma and Vinita, Oklahoma school districts.
(08/31/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
David Tisdale, a former teacher at Kingstree Elementary School in Kingstree, South Carolina has reportedly been arrested on allegations that he exposed himself to a former student in 1993 and showed the boy pornography.
Tisdale is charged with indecent exposure and following his arrest Tisdale was released from the Williamsburg County Detention Center after posting bond.
It is alleged that during the 1993 incident that Tisdale took the boy into the media center at Greeleyville High School, put on a pornographic video, exposed himself and asked the student if he would like to join him. Reportedly, the boy declined the invitation, quickly left the media center and reported the incident.
Police say that not enough evidence existed to charge Tisdale in 1993 but that the school system was notified of the alleged incident. Reportedly, police also indicate that several complaints regarding Tisdale making inappropriate remarks to students have arisen since.
Tisdale was investigated earlier this year on allegations of soliciting sex from a student online however he was reportedly cleared of those allegations.
Tisdale, who has been on administrative leave since April, has reportedly been fired by the school system.
09/30/09 – Preliminary Hearing
Last Thursday, David L. Tisdale appeared before Williamsburg County Magistrate Ellerbe Ackerman for a preliminary hearing.
At the conclusion of that hearing, Ackerman ruled that there was probable cause to send the case to a grand jury.
(09/29/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Samuel Garza, 31, a substitute teacher who mainly taught at Reedley High School in Reedley, California along with his husband Vincent Chavez, 31, a 6th grade English and language arts teacher at Grant Middle School in Reedley, California has been arrested on allegations of possessing child pornography.
The men were arrested at their home last week and are reportedly charged with one count each of possession of child pornography.
Following their arrests the men were released on $5,000 bond each.
Reportedly, Chavez and Garza were arrested by Fresno Sheriff’s Cyber Crime Detectives after a 3 week investigation which began when authorities received a tip regarding Chavez, and Garza.
School district officials say, no students were involved in the child porn investigation.
Reportedly, Chavez and Garza were married in August of 2008.
Chavez is the son of Reedley Mayor Pro Tem Pete Chavez and because Pete Chavez is a chief investigator with the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the case will be handled by an outside agency. Media reports indicate that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case.
A school district spokesperson has indicated that Chavez has been placed on paid leave and that Garza will no longer be allowed to substitute teach.