Former Parkview Wrestling Coach Convicted Of Child Molestation

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA -- A jury deliberated for 45 minutes before returning a guilty verdict of child molestation for a former Parkview High School wrestling coach, according to the Gwinnett County DA's office.

Francis Santos Castaneda, 46, of Lawrenceville, has been convicted of two counts of child molestation and sentenced to forty years with the first fifteen years in prison.

In May 2015 the victim went to the Gwinnett County Police Department to report that Castaneda had sexually assaulted and molested her multiple times between 2006 and 2011 while she was living in his home. The victim was 12 years old when the molestation began and 20 years old when she came forward and reported it to police, according to Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter.

The victim was interviewed by a detective with the Gwinnett County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and was able to recall numerous instances of sexual molestation at the hands of Castaneda. The victim testified at trial that the incidents would occur in her bedroom in Castaneda’s house, often late at night, and estimated that there were at least 200 separate incidents.

Throughout the time of the assaults, Castaneda was also the victim’s middle and high school wrestling coach. The victim moved out of Castaneda’s home at the age of 16 and went to live with a family member. After suffering with depression and anxiety for years, the victim met with a counselor in 2015 after her first year of college and disclosed the abuse for the first time and the counselor encouraged the victim to contact police. The case was investigated by the Gwinnett County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and prosecuted by ADA Ryan Fisher. Castaneda was represented by Lawrenceville attorney Maryann Blend.

During sentencing, Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Tracey Mason commented on Castaneda’s lack of remorse and failure to take responsibility for his actions. Judge Mason sentenced Castaneda to forty years with the first fifteen years to be served in prison.