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FILLMORE -- A former mayor, LDS bishop and high school teacher in Fillmore has been arrested on charges of having sex with a 17-year-old girl. Keith Gillins was booked into jail Monday night after the student came forward with the allegations.
News of the arrest comes after weeks of rumors in Fillmore. Still, it is shocking for residents of the small town to hear that the well-known 61-year-old coach, teacher, religious leader and former mayor of the city was arrested.
"He is well-known. He's done a lot of good. He's a good man, and it is upsetting to the community and the parents and the students and everybody. It's upsetting to everybody," said Millard County Sheriff Robert Dekker.
Charging documents state the crimes occurred in November of last year, but investigators are looking at the possibility of other encounters.
"The case is still being investigated. There are other people who need to be interviewed. The investigation needs to go much further, we just felt like this was the time that we needed to bring him into custody and let it go from there," Dekker said.
It was a relationship that police say was cultivated through the exchange of text messages. A high school student who didn't want to be identified told KSL the teacher and student frequently flirted at school.
"She would kind of always go in his room. He never let anyone go in his back room, but he would always let her. So, I don't know, like you could kind of tell. But it was surprising, just because he was a teacher and, you know?" the student said.
Gillins faces two third-degree felonies of unlawful sexual conduct with a 17-year-old. He posted bail Tuesday afternoon and was released from jail. He is scheduled to face the charges in court Wednesday morning.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
