Summary
Keith Gillins was a former mayor, LDS bishop and high school teacher in Fillmore, Utah.
Gillins was arrested on charges of having sex with a 17-year-old girl.
He was convicted and sentenced to prison.
Facts
Sources
- Millard High teacher accused of sex with female student,
- Ex-teacher given up to life in prison for sex with student,
- Former teacher sentenced for sex crimes,
- sex offender details,
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1. Millard High teacher accused of sex with female student
FILLMORE -- A former mayor, LDS bishop and high school teacher in Fillmore has been arrested on charges of having sex with a 17-year-old girl. Keith Gillins was booked into jail Monday night after the student came forward with the allegations.
News of the arrest comes after weeks of rumors in Fillmore. Still, it is shocking for residents of the small town to hear that the well-known 61-year-old coach, teacher, religious leader and former mayor of the city was arrested.
"He is well-known. He's done a lot of good. He's a good man, and it is upsetting to the community and the parents and the students and everybody. It's upsetting to everybody," said Millard County Sheriff Robert Dekker.
Charging documents state the crimes occurred in November of last year, but investigators are looking at the possibility of other encounters.
"The case is still being investigated. There are other people who need to be interviewed. The investigation needs to go much further, we just felt like this was the time that we needed to bring him into custody and let it go from there," Dekker said.
It was a relationship that police say was cultivated through the exchange of text messages. A high school student who didn't want to be identified told KSL the teacher and student frequently flirted at school.
"She would kind of always go in his room. He never let anyone go in his back room, but he would always let her. So, I don't know, like you could kind of tell. But it was surprising, just because he was a teacher and, you know?" the student said.
Gillins faces two third-degree felonies of unlawful sexual conduct with a 17-year-old. He posted bail Tuesday afternoon and was released from jail. He is scheduled to face the charges in court Wednesday morning.
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2. Ex-teacher given up to life in prison for sex with student
Fillmore -- The father looked at Keith Gillins, his daughter's former teacher, and said he would never forgive him.
"My daughter's life has been scarred forever by you," the father told Gillins.
Then, the father addressed the people in Millard County who suggested his daughter was responsible: "Shame on you."
Gillins on Wednesday received three sentences of three years to life in prison for a sexual relationship with a former Millard High School student. Fourth District Court Judge Donald Eyre also sentenced Gillins to two terms of 1 to 15 years in prison. All five counts will run concurrently and include charges filed in both Juab and Millard counties.
The Salt Lake Tribune typically does not identify victims of sex crimes.
Gillins' defense attorney, Jim Slavens, argued for a one-year jail sentence and probation. Slavens made legal arguments, but also pointed to Gillins' history in Fillmore. Gillins, 61, is a long-time teacher who also coached the Millard High boys basketball team to its only state championship. He was Fillmore's mayor for 12 years and an LDS bishop in the town.
Besides losing his position in the community, Gillins was divorced by his wife of 41 years and won't be allowed to teach again.
The Juab and Millard county attorneys and the victim's family asked for prison time. Juab County Attorney Jared Eldridge disclosed Gillins recently admitted to fondling a Beaver High School student when he was a teacher there about 35 years ago.
Gillins cultivated a relationship with the Millard High student and offered her a teaching assistant position in the school, Eldridge said. "This is a pattern that occurred over months," he said.
Gillins also sought to portray the relationship as romantic rather than abusive, Eldridge said.
The victim attended the hearing but did not speak. But Heidi Nestel, a lawyer retained by the victim's family, read aloud from a letter by the victim. "He is a sick, sick man and I hate him," Nestel read.
Gillins, shackled and wearing an orange jumpsuit, leaned forward to watch Nestel and the father speak but showed no reaction. Eldridge said the girl, now 18, postponed college because of Gillins and left town when he was free on bail.
Gillins was the last to address the judge and apologized to the victim, her family, his family, the town, and educators and coaches across the state. "After this day, she [the victim] will never, ever hear from me again," Gillins said.
In explaining his ruling, Eyre noted Gillins had contacted the victim despite a court order and said there were three instances of sex or sexual contact with the girl in Gillins' classroom.
"When parents send their children to school, when I send my children to school, it's supposed to be a place of refuge," Eyre said.
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3. Former teacher sentenced for sex crimes
FILLMORE -- The former high school teacher and mayor of Fillmore who pleaded guilty to having sex with a teenage student received his sentence Wednesday afternoon.
Keith Gillins pleaded guilty to having a sexual relationship with the girl for several months during the school year. Some of the encounters occurred in his classroom.
The defense attorney gave a very long argument, asking for a year in jail followed by probation. But the judge didn't buy it and sent the former teacher to prison.
"These are very serious crimes. And they're more serious because of the position of trust a teacher occupies," said Juab County Attorney Jared Eldridge.
Gillins was arrested and charged on June 8 after a sexual relationship between he and the then 17-year-old girl became known. It was a relationship investigators say Gillins initiated through text messages. He later invited the girl to be a student assistant in his classroom at Millard High School.
On Wednesday, the victim, who is now 18, was in the courtroom. Her attorney read a statement on her behalf, saying: "This just did not happen to a nice guy in the community. He is a sick, sick man, and I hate him more than anything else. You have ruined me."
Prosecutors called Gillins' crimes a monumental betrayal of trust.
"Don't be too quick to judge these young ladies, or young men, or whoever they might be; because you may not know the whole story, as in this case where there was months of grooming that took place, months of preparation, before the actual criminal act took place. And I'm hoping that that message will come through," Eldridge said.
Gillins did offer an apology to the victim, as well as her family, his family, the school and community.
The judge sentenced him to serve three terms of up to life in prison as well as two terms of 1 to 15 years, all to run concurrently, meaning the 61-year-old defendant may have a chance at parole in a few years.
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4. sex offender details
Documents
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