A prosecutor began laying out his case Tuesday in the trial of a former Chula Vista first-grade teacher accused of molesting five boys and persuading boys to expose themselves online.
John Raymond Kinloch, 43, faces multiple counts of committing a lewd act on a child, child molestation and possession of child pornography.
“You probably expect me to stand here and tell you that Mr. Kinlock is a saint, he’s never done anything wrong and that he’s not guilty of all charges against him,” defense attorney Kerry Armstrong said. “That’s not what I’m gonna tell you this morning.”
Kinloch’s attorney argued that his client is guilty of some of the lesser charges but is not guilty of the more serious charges against him.
A teacher at Wolf Canyon Elementary, Kinloch was arrested in November 2012 after agents from the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force searched his home in San Ysidro.
Kinloch was released on bail but re-arrested a week later after an investigation allegedly showed that the defendant, while posing as a girl on a website called “MeetMe,” persuaded boys to disrobe during live one-on-one webcam interactions, according to San Diego police.
Kinloch was originally charged with molesting one former student, but that number grew to five boys as alleged victims came forward, according to authorities.
Prosecutors said the first alleged molestation occurred in 2004 or 2005, when a student was 8 or 9 years old. The victim had a relationship with Kinloch at school and away from school, they allege.
Kinloch faces up to 430 years to life in state prison if convicted.
— City News Service contributed to this story
