The father of the child told deputies that he noticed his child was acting “very differently” and “having nightmares.”
PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A retired Putnam County teacher was arrested on Tuesday for sexual assault on a victim less than 12-years-old, according to a post on the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Gilberto Del Castillo-Espana, 82, was arrested on a warrant at his home in Georgetown, as he is currently facing two charges — a capital felony charge for the alleged sexual assault and a resisting an officer without violence charge.
In May 2023, the sheriff’s office says deputies received a call by parents of the child due to possible child abuse by Espana. The father of the child told deputies he was worried to contact police because his family wasn’t documented United States citizens, the sheriff’s office says.
The father then told deputies that he noticed his child was acting “very differently” and “having nightmares,” the post on the sheriff’s office Facebook page states.
The father also told deputies that his child said Espana had touched them in an “inappropriate place” and pointed towards the groin area, according to the post. The child told investigators that Espana committed rape and threatened to kill the child’s parents if anything was said to them, the post also states.
According to the probable cause affidavit document, Espana pushed down the child to the floor on two separate occasions before allegedly proceeding with sexual intercourse. The document also says that Espana has been a close friend of the child’s family for over 20 years.
When deputies tried to arrest Espana, police say he attempted to resist, but was later taken to the Putnam County Jail where he is being held on no bond.
The sheriff’s office says Espana worked as an ESOL coordinator from 2002-2015 with the Putnam County School District. Prior to that, Espana worked in “adult education,” providing classes for migrant workers beginning in 1998.
“I am unbelievably proud of this child for having the courage to speak up, despite the threats to family and the concern of being undocumented,” Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach said in the post. “I want to assure our community of our commitment to protecting victims of crimes. No child should endure this horrific crime and be afraid to speak. We are here to help anyone else who Del Castillo Espana has preyed upon due to his position of power and influence over those less fortunate.”
The sheriff’s office believes “there are more victims of Gilbert Del Castillo Espana because of his work in the community.”
“We want to assure victims and families we are here to support them,” the post states. “The sheriff’s office is here to protect all of our residents.”
The post says if you are a victim or have information about any other victims, please contact Detective Maria Harman at 386-326-0488 or Detective Rafael Correa at 386-326-7010 for Spanish.
