Ronald David Guinto, Richmond, California (arrested Mar 2014)

Discussion in 'Tomcats' started by TMP, Mar 7, 2014.

  1. TMP

    TMP Himself

    3-7-2014 4-19-44 AM.png

    Ronald David Guinto, 32, teacher at Mira Vista Elementary School, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Richmond, California, "accused of sexually abusing students"

    Previously worked at:
    ABC Local KGO: Richmond teacher accused of sexually abusing students (Mar 5 2014)

    Ron Guinto, 32, is charged with 11 counts of lewd acts on a child under 14. He was arrested Wednesday at Mira Vista Elementary School in Richmond. We're told the investigation began in November while Guinto was working at Making Waves Academy, which is also in the West Contra Costa County School District.

    Tags:
     
    Richmond, California, Mira Vista Elementary School, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Making Waves Academy, Ronald David Guinto
  2. TMP

    TMP Himself

    CBS Local San Francisco: Teacher Accused Of Multiple Molestations At Richmond Elementary School (Mar 5 2014)

    Officers arrested 32-year-old Ronald Guinto on a $1.4 million warrant for alleged lewd acts upon a child, forced oral copulation and assault with intent to commit sodomy, according to Richmond police Lt. Andre Hill ... police said his arrest stemmed from allegations that he abused students at his former workplace, Making Waves Academy, a charter school located at 4123 Lakeside Drive in Richmond. Hill said police received reports last November that Guinto was allegedly sexually abusing at least two students between 11 and 13 years old at the school.
     
  3. TMP

    TMP Himself

    NBC Bay Area: Richmond Teacher Accused of Sexual Contact with Students (Mar 5 2014)

    Ron Guinto, a 7th grade teacher at Mira Vista School in Richmond, was arrested on campus Wednesday. He was handcuffed and taken away in front of students, according to Charles Ramsey, president of the West Contra Costa school board ... Police say the alleged crimes happened when Guinto was working at Making Waves Academy, also in Richmond. It’s not clear whether he was a full-time or substitute teacher at Making Waves ... The investigation began after a student came forward, according to police.
     
  4. TMP

    TMP Himself

    KTVU: Teacher arrested in front of classroom on sex-abuse charges (Mar 5 2014)

    Richmond Police arrested 33-year old Ronald David Guinto Wednesday morning in front of his classroom. "Richmond police came and handcuffed him in his classroom, or at least in front of his classroom," explained principal, Gabriel Chilcott. Some students were already in the classroom and witnessed the arrest.

    ...

    The school district says it interviewed, vetted, and did fingerprint and background checks on Guinto in December. Guinto passed those at the same time he was being investigated by police and his former employer, Making Waves Charter School, the school where Guinto was teaching when the alleged abuse occurred. The school board president emphasized that fact Wednesday.
     
  5. TMP

    TMP Himself

    ABC Local KGO: Teacher in Richmond accused of sexual abuse (Mar 6 2014)

    One school already knew about the allegations: Making Waves Academy, also in Richmond, fired Ron Guinto, 32, in November when police opened an investigation on him. But a month later, while the investigation was being conducted, he landed a job at Mira Vista. The principal says the HR department did a background check and did not find any criminal history on Guinto. "They knew about it, you know, at the school or whatever. So I feel like they shouldn't have let him come here," said Dixon ... Guinto has now been arrested and faces 14 charges of child molestation.
     
  6. TMP

    TMP Himself

    CBS Local San Francisco: Richmond Teacher Accused Of Sex Abuse Hired At Another School During Investigation (Mar 6 2014)

    Ronald Guinto, 32, was arrested at his current workplace, Mira Vista Elementary School in El Cerrito, on Wednesday morning on suspicion of 11 counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14 years old, two counts of forced oral copulation and one count of assault with intent to commit sodomy, according to police ... The teacher’s arrest stems from a police investigation launched in November after several students at Making Waves Academy in Richmond, where Guinto previously worked, reported that he had sexually abused them. Investigators believe the alleged abuse occurred during camping trips and “various excursions where he was the lead person in charge,” Hill said. Making Waves reported the allegations to police, conducted its own investigation and fired Guinto, he said.

    ...

    Administrators never did a reference check on him because he had already worked at many of the district’s schools as a frequent substitute teacher between 2008 and 2011, so was considered a re-hire, the school board president said. The school district is not required to check references for re-hired staff.
     
  7. TMP

    TMP Himself

    Press Democrat: Bay Area teacher arrested, held on sexual abuse allegations (w/video) (Mar 6 2014)

    Richmond police took Ron Guinto into custody on Wednesday. He faces multiple charges including lewd acts on a child under 14, oral copulation and assault to commit sodomy. Police say an investigation into the allegations began after two students attending a Richmond charter school where Guinto previously taught told police about possible sexual misconduct. Police issued an arrest warrant after learning the 32-year-old Guinto was teaching at another school in Richmond.
     
  8. TMP

    TMP Himself

    Contra Costa Times: Richmond middle-school teacher arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse (Mar 6 2014)

    Ron Guinto, 32, faces 11 counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old, two counts of forced oral copulation and one count of assault with intent to commit sodomy, said Richmond police Lt. Andre Hill. An investigation into the charges began in November, when students at Making Waves Academy, a charter school in Richmond, told police of possible of sexual misconduct involving at least two students between the ages of 11 and 13, Hill said. But while an investigation was underway, Guinto began teaching at Mira Vista in December. Hill said as soon as the police department learned Guinto was teaching elsewhere, an arrest warrant was issued.

    Mercury News: East Bay middle-school teacher arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse (Mar 6 2014)
     
  9. TMP

    TMP Himself

    Contra Costa Times: Richmond: Teacher's arrest on sex abuse charges raises concerns about hiring practices (Mar 6 2014)

    As shock spread Thursday about the arrest of a Richmond middle school teacher suspected of child sexual abuse, questions followed about how he landed a new teaching job at a public school even as police were investigating him on allegations that he had abused students from his previous school. Ronald Guinto, 32, was fired by Richmond charter school Making Waves Academy in November after students came forward claiming the teacher had abused them. In early January, Guinto began teaching at Mira Vista Elementary School in East Richmond Heights. Officials from the West Contra Costa Unified School District admitted Thursday that, while they ran mandated fingerprint and criminal background checks on Guinto, they did not call his previous employer to do a reference check because he was already on the district's approved list of substitute teachers.

    Mercury News: Richmond: Teacher's arrest on sex abuse charges raises concerns about hiring practices (Mar 6 2014)

    Times-Herald: Richmond teacher's arrest raises questions about district hiring practices (Mar 6 2014)
     
  10. TMP

    TMP Himself

    The Californian: Teacher arrested, held on sexual abuse allegations (Mar 6 2014)

    Richmond police took Ron Guinto into custody on Wednesday. He faces multiple charges including lewd acts on a child under 14, oral copulation and assault to commit sodomy. Police say an investigation into the allegations began after two students attending a Richmond charter school where Guinto previously taught told police about possible sexual misconduct. Police issued an arrest warrant after learning the 32-year-old Guinto was teaching at another school in Richmond.

    San Francisco Chronicle: Teacher arrested, held on sexual abuse allegations (Mar 6 2014)

    Greenfield Reporter: Northern California elementary school teacher held on suspicion of sexually abusing students (Mar 6 2014)
     
  11. TMP

    TMP Himself

    KTVU: 7th grade teacher facing felony sexual abuse charges (Mar 6 2014)

    Richmond Police say Guinto was working at Making Waves Academy charter school when the abuse happened off campus, during "excursions" which included camping trips. On Wednesday morning, plainclothes officers arrested Guinto at his new job, teaching at Mira Vista School. "Something that wasn't disclosed was that in two or three weeks, he was going to take a group of kids on a field trip, overnight, to Yosemite," said West Contra Costa Unified School Board President, Charles Ramsey.

    ...

    Next week, Ramsey says he'll propose changes to how West Contra Costa Unified performs background checks, including calls to former employers for both new hires and re-hires.
     
  12. TMP

    TMP Himself

    El Cerrito Patch: Teacher Arrested for Allegedly Sexually Abusing Multiple Students (Mar 6 2014)

    Officers arrested 32-year-old Ronald Guinto on a $1.4 million warrant for alleged lewd acts upon a child, forced oral copulation and assault with intent to commit sodomy, according to Richmond police Lt. Andre Hill ... police said his arrest stemmed from allegations that he abused students at his former workplace, Making Waves Academy, a charter school located at 4123 Lakeside Drive in Richmond. Hill said police received reports last November that Guinto was allegedly sexually abusing at least two students between 11 and 13 years old at the school. Police launched an investigation and were able to obtain a warrant for his arrest on Tuesday after learning that he was teaching another school in El Cerrito, the lieutenant said.
     
  13. TMP

    TMP Himself

    Pinole-Hercules Patch: Teacher Facing Multiple Felony Counts of Alleged Sexual Abuse of 6 Students (Mar 6 2014)

    The teacher's arrest stems from a police investigation launched in November after several students at Making Waves Academy in Richmond, where Guinto previously worked, reported that he had sexually abused them. Investigators believe the alleged abuse occurred during camping trips and "various excursions where he was the lead person in charge," Hill said ... About two months after police began their investigation, Guinto was hired full-time as a teacher at Mira Vista Elementary, where he was arrested after arriving at work around 7:45 a.m. Wednesday ... [School board president] Ramsey added that Guinto's "performance had been so stellar" that he was offered a full-time teaching contract two weeks ago. The teacher was also set to take groups of students on an overnight trip to Yosemite next month, he said.
     
  14. TMP

    TMP Himself

    Mercury News: Richmond: Teacher charged with abusing students planned unauthorized field trip (Mar 7 2014)

    When Ron Guinto was arrested this week for allegedly molesting his former students on camping trips, the administration at the teacher's new school got a startling call from a horrified mother, one school official said: Guinto was planning to take her son and five others on a similar trip to Yosemite next month. Even more alarming, the official said, the principal at Mira Vista Elementary School in East Richmond Heights had no knowledge of the trip even though Guinto allegedly used school-issued permission slips. They were due Thursday. "We dodged a bullet big time," said Charles Ramsey, president of the West Contra Costa Unified School District board. "He was going to take these kids on his own."

    ...

    Authorities say six boys ages 11 to 13 who attended Making Waves Academy, a charter school near Hilltop Mall in Richmond, have alleged that Guinto, who was a teacher aide at the school, molested them on camping trips off campus between December 2012 and October 2013. Charging documents released by Richmond police show that the kidnapping charges stem from trips where Guinto took students to unspecified locations in Santa Clara County.

    Willits News: Richmond: Teacher charged with abusing students planned unauthorized field trip (Mar 7 2014)

    Inside Bay Area: Richmond: Teacher charged with abusing students planned unauthorized field trip (May 7 2014)
     
  15. TMP

    TMP Himself

    The Reporter: Solano man's arrest raises hiring questions for school (Mar 7 2014)

    Mira Vista Elementary hired [Ronald David] Guinto while police were investigating him. Police said they were not made aware that Guinto was at Mira Vista until Tuesday night, at which point they hurried to make an arrest. "Once we launched our investigation, Making Waves terminated him. So we went forward thinking that the children were out of harm's way," Hill said Thursday. "We had no idea that he was then subsequently hired by another school." The Making Waves school is not part of the West Contra Costa district. Asked how Guinto could've been hired with the nature of the investigation that was surrounding him, Hill said he was just as surprised as anyone. "That's something that the school district has to answer to," he said. "It makes you wonder how much of a background and reference check they did."
     
  16. TMP

    TMP Himself

    KTVU: Teacher accused of sex-abuse was set to take students on camping trip (Mar 7 2014)

    A teacher [Ronald David Guinto] accused of sexually abusing six elementary school students who pleaded not guilty to more than two dozen felony charges filed against him Friday was apparently planning an unauthorized overnight field trip with students, according to a district official ... West Contra Costa Unified School Board president Charles Ramsey said Guinto may have been trying to isolate students at Mira Vista Middle School as well. “[He] really was trying to make victims out of kids apparently, because why would they try a process of getting the field trip approved without the principal's knowledge,” said Ramsey. Ramsey told KTVU that Guinto swiped permission slips and sent them home with students for an overnight field trip planned for April 8th through the 11th. The location, a Yosemite spring break camp called Camp Epic. It is the same place Ramsey said the other alleged incidents occurred. “It’s stunning. The forms would have been returned and due today and a lot of the parents had already completed the forms and filled them in,” said Ramsey. Only six students out of a class of 30 received the permission slips.
     
  17. TMP

    TMP Himself

    San Francisco Chronicle: Richmond teacher pleads not guilty to sex abuse (Mar 8 2014)

    A Richmond teacher [Ronald David Guinto] pleaded not guilty Friday to 25 felony charges, refuting allegations that he molested several students from a charter school during camping trips ... His bail was increased from $1.4 million to $17 million as a result of the felony charges lodged by prosecutors, which included kidnapping with intent to commit lewd acts on a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child. Guinto, a Vallejo resident, was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of dissuading a witness from making a report ...
     
  18. TMP

    TMP Himself

    Associated Press: Teacher pleads not guilty to sexual abuse (Mar 7 2014)

    Ronald Guinto entered his plea to more than two dozen charges including kidnapping, forcible lewd acts on a child and forcible oral copulation on a minor during his arraignment hearing in Contra Costa County Superior Court on Friday ... Guinto is being held on $17 million bail and has been placed on administrative leave.

    Greenfield Reporter: California school teacher pleads not guilty to dozens of charges of sexually abusing students (Mar 7 2014)
     
  19. TMP

    TMP Himself

    CBS Local San Francisco: Teacher Accused Of Molesting 6 Students At Richmond School Enters Plea (Mar 8 2014)

    Ronald Guinto, 32, entered the plea during his arraignment in a Richmond courtroom Friday. He was charged with 27 felonies including 13 counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, eight counts of kidnapping, forcible oral copulation, forcible sodomy on a child, sending lewd material to a minor online and dissuading a witness ...
     
  20. TMP

    TMP Himself

    Contra Costa Times: Richmond teacher's alleged sex abuse of students detailed in court document (Mar 11 2014)

    Even as he allegedly abused the middle-school age children left in his care, even as he purportedly lied to parents about field trips throughout the Bay Area, court documents show that Ronald Guinto articulated a strict code to his campers: "What happens at Camp Epic stays at Camp Epic." What allegedly happened on the off-campus, overnight camping trips was repeated sexual abuse of 11-and 12-year old boys, the documents say ... Often, his victims said, Guinto played lewd games with them as a prelude to the abuse; at least once he showed a child a pornographic movie.

    ...

    The investigation into Guinto began on Oct. 29, when an administrator at Making Waves called Richmond police to report Guinto had been placed on administrative leave for an inappropriate Facebook conversation with an 11-year-old student, according to a probable cause statement by lead investigator Detective Walton Nelson.

    Within weeks, investigators uncovered Guinto had taken students on trips to Mount Diablo State Park, San Jose, Yosemite, and Napa, engaging in sex acts with students inside tents beginning in December 2012 and ending as recently as Oct. 26, three days before police were notified, according to documents. On that outing, the parents of one of the boys said they thought their son and other students were camping overnight at Mare Island, but Guinto instead took them a Motel 6 in Vallejo, Nelson wrote. Guinto allegedly slept in the same bed as two boys.

    More graphic details at the Contra Costa Times ...