PHOENIX — A former Phoenix teacher has been convicted of sexually abusing 7 young girls.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office previously said there were 14 victims and later corrected it to 7 victims.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that a jury found Manuel Gavina guilty of sexual abuse.
The crimes happened during math classes at Capitol Elementary School in central Phoenix while Gavina touched the girls inappropriately.
"This man is the definition of a sexual predator," said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. "Teachers are trusted adults in our community. Any child in any classroom in this county should feel safe at school, yet this man violated that childhood peace. I will not stand for these types of attacks on our kids. I'm proud of my team of prosecutors who proved his guilt and have taken the first step toward ensuring he is removed from our community before he does any more of this kind of horrific damage."
Victims started coming forward in 2017. It wasn't until 2019 that the Phoenix Police Department was notified of the accusations when additional victims came forward.
Gavina was convicted on 14 counts of sexual abuse, each one a felony. Gavina faces anywhere from 17.5 to 70 years in prison, according to MCAO.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 30.
