Former teacher sentenced to jail
EL CENTRO — Former Heber Elementary School District science teacher Juan Galindo was sentenced to one year in county jail Wednesday after pleading guilty to one felony count of attempting a lewd act on a minor as part of a plea agreement. Prior to handing down the sentence, county Superior Court Judge Christopher J. Plourd indicated he felt compelled to reject the prosecution’s plea agreement on account of Galindo’s actions to “prepare and groom” the 12-year-old victim, as well as the severe psychological harm the victim suffered.
“(Galindo) is someone who went to great lengths to prepare and commit the crime for which he is convicted,” Plourd said. “If there’s anyone who knows better, it’s this defendant.”
Ultimately, Plourd “reluctantly reversed” his initial decision to reject the plea agreement at the recommendation of county Deputy District Attorney Kevin Cayton, who said the deal’s rejection would subject the victim to additional, and likely emotionally harmful, court appearances and testimony.
“This is the primary reason for entering into the agreement,” Cayton said.
By allowing Galindo to plead guilty to the one felony count, he avoided potential convictions and years-long prison sentences related to the two additional felony offenses he had faced, including meeting a minor for lewd purposes, and communicating with a minor to commit a sexual offense.
Following the sentencing, Galindo was remanded to the custody of the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office to begin his jail sentence. He was given one day credit for time served, stemming from his initial arrest and detention on May 21.
Although the 58-year-old Imperial man declined to make a statement to the court during his sentencing hearing at the El Centro courthouse, both the victim and the victim’s mother did so.
The victim’s mother, who asked not to be identified, provided a lengthy impact statement in Spanish that recounted the pain and suffering that her daughter continues to be subjected to as a result of Galindo’s actions.
Adding to her daughter’s pain and suffering was the fact that many in the community chose to doubt the allegations against the popular science teacher, who the victim’s mother described as a man of good standing and prestige in the community.
“But they didn’t know he had a weakness for 12-year-old girls,” the victim’s mother said, through the use of a court interpreter.
Galindo, posing as “Leslie,” reportedly sent sexually explicit text messages to the victim, and was known to repeatedly “beg for hugs” and kiss the victim on the cheek while on campus, the victim’s mother said.
She also recounted how Galindo reportedly had advised the victim to stay away from classmates during the time in question — an action that the victim’s mother described as a pretext for him to carry out his deviant actions unabated.
After the victim had grown despondent as a result of Galindo’s actions, of which the mother remained unaware, he reportedly advised the victim’s mother to avoid counseling for her daughter, stating that school counselors were not to be trusted nor experienced enough to handle such matters, the victim’s mother stated.
“I was manipulated by this clever person so that he could trap his prey and pursue his target,” she said.
Galindo reportedly had at one point also acknowledged that his feelings toward the victim were inappropriate and that he would be better off dead, the victim’s mother said.
The victim had even volunteered to help Galindo, going so far as to research how he might obtain professional help and proposed inviting him over for dinner so that her mother could possibly help Galindo as a fellow adult, the victim’s mother said.
The victim, who was present in court Wednesday, also provided a relatively brief impact statement that was read aloud by a county Witness and Victim Protective Services representative on her behalf.
The victim described how she still suffers nightmares and uncontrollable episodes of crying while at school. She also recounted how Galindo had reportedly told her that he “liked her,” prompting her to become scared and try to avoid him.
The victim also described becoming an object of derision at school because of her allegations against Galindo, whose supporters appeared to believe was innocent of the charges.
“I try so hard to forget everything but I can’t” her statement said. “I hate him so much that I wish he could just die.”
As part of his sentence, Galindo was also ordered to pay $31,700 in restitution, or $880 a month, to the victim, register as a sex offender, participate in sex offender management program for at least one year and possibly up to three, and take part in a sex offender polygraph examination program.
His sentencing also included three years formal probation, a 10-year protective order barring any contact with the victim, a prohibition from going within 100 feet of a school or school function without permission and submitting a sample of his blood and saliva for the sex offender registry.
During Wednesday’s hearing, defense attorney John Breeze sought to highlight the case’s mitigating circumstances, reminding the court that Galindo had acknowledged his wrongdoing during a prior court hearing and had no previous criminal record.
Breeze also pointed out that ICSO investigators determined that Galindo had not victimized any other underage individuals while working as a teacher.
“There are no other victims and that should be taken into consideration,” Breeze said.
Breeze also cited the county Probation Department’s sex offender analysis that Galindo had taken and which reportedly resulted in a score of zero.
“Which means it is unlikely he will reoffend in the future,” Breeze said.
Galindo’s sentencing hearing was his second one in as many days.
On Tuesday, he appeared before county Superior Court Judge Diane Altamirano, who had rejected the plea agreement, citing its relatively minor sentence. Altamirano then sent the case back to Plourd, who had presided over it, for sentencing.
Galindo’s criminal activity came to light after the victim’s mother had reviewed the text messages he had sent her daughter and notified authorities.
During his remarks prior to sentencing, Plourd acknowledged that evidence suggested Galindo’s embracing and kissing the victim could have convicted him of engaging in lewd acts on a child, in light of the sexual nature of his messages to her.
Were it not for the intervention of the victim’s family and the authorities, Galindo’s actions could’ve resulted in far more serious consequences for all parties.
“It’s quite likely this would’ve been a far greater tragedy,” Plourd said.