Junior high coach guilty of molesting a child here

A junior high school coach has pleaded guilty Tuesday to molesting a child.

Jesus Gutierrez, 46, plead guilty to two counts of the second degree felony, indecency with a child by touching, and received eight years probation.

“A majority of our educators are great people, dedicating their lives to our young people,” District Attorney John Hubert said, “however, when one commits a crime like this, he or she must be held accountable and kept away from the rest of our children.”

As a condition of the probation, he received 90 days in jail.

Gutierrez will be required to register as a sex offender during the time of his probation and for 10 years after it concludes.

Gutierrez worked as a coach in a local middle school and began a relationship with one of his students under 15 years of age.

“This was painful on everyone else involved — the victim, her family and even the school and the defendant’s family,” Hubert said.

“One of the reasons this wasn’t worse was the involvement by the parents,” the DA noted.

“The mother of the victim was there for her child,” he said.

If Gutierrez violates his probation, he may be sentenced for up to 20 years in prison, Hubert said.