A Sacramento elementary school teacher who preyed on his students for years has been sentenced to 215 years to life in prison after admitting to sexually abusing children and recording the assaults, prosecutors announced, as reported by US Today.Abuse hidden behind ‘broadcasting club’Kim Kenneth Wilson, 64, a longtime teacher at Del Paso Heights Elementary School, pleaded guilty in February to nine counts of committing lewd acts on children. Judge Satnam Rattu delivered the sentence on Aug. 22, describing the crimes as spanning years of calculated abuse.According to prosecutors, Wilson lured students into a private media and broadcasting club he created, where he assaulted them and often filmed the acts. Some abuse also took place at his home during school-related events.When detectives searched his home, they uncovered child-sized sex toys and a large cache of VHS tapes, DVDs, and digital files documenting the assaults. Prosecutors said the videos showed Wilson coercing children to perform sex acts and forcing them to look into the camera.Eligibility for release despite sentenceUnder California law, Wilson could become eligible for release after serving 20 years. With credit for time already served since his 2023 arrest, he may face parole hearings in about 17 years.District sued for failing to actThe sentencing comes as Wilson and his former employer, the Twin Rivers Unified School District, face lawsuits from former students. One 2023 lawsuit alleges a 7-year-old girl was repeatedly assaulted during the 2013–2014 school year in the same secluded broadcast room prosecutors described.The complaint accuses the district of mishandling or ignoring student complaints of misconduct. Attorney Lauren Cerri, who previously represented another victim, told The Sacramento Bee: “Sadly there’s a repeated pattern of schools putting their image and reputations over the safety of students, turning a blind eye to complaints and ignoring red flags.”That earlier lawsuit settled this month for $6 million. The second case, filed in June 2023, is still pending.USA Today reported that the district has not responded to requests for comment. Wilson, who no longer appears on the school’s staff page, does not have an attorney listed in either his criminal or civil cases.
