An ex-Sun Valley wrestling coach was recently convicted of 47 separate sex crimes, involving seven boys and two girls. According to trial transcripts, T. Gillard, of Sylmar, the victims were children who took part in wrestling teams at John H. Francis Polytechnic High School and the Boys and Girls Club of San Fernando between 1991 and 2017. All-told, Gillard was found guilty of three felony counts each of lewd acts on a child, lewd act on a child of 14 or 15, oral copulation on a person under 18, 28 felony counts of procuring a child to engage in a lewd act, and 10 misdemeanor counts of molesting a child.
At the times that the crimes occurred, all of his victims were between the ages of 11 and 17 years old.
California Penal Code 288 PC makes it illegal to engage in lewd acts on a child in California. The punishment for the crime depends on several factors, including the child’s age, whether or not force was used, the individual’s status as a habitual sex-offender, and whether or not the victim was injured. Most of the time in prison falls within a range of 3 to 8 years, however, if the victim suffered great bodily harm during the crime, or if the defendant is a habitual sex-offender, it’s possible to receive up to life in prison. Additionally, each crime comes with a maximum penalty of $10,000.
While it’s not known if any of the victims suffered great bodily harm as a result of Gillard’s crimes, the sheer number of charges he was convicted of will likely result in an extremely long prison sentence. At 58, it’s not likely he will be released in his lifetime. Gillard is due back in a San Fernando Court next month for a motions hearing, though a sentencing date has yet to be set.
