A former Long Beach teacher receives 80-year prison sentence for sex-related charges
A former Long Beach teacher was sentenced on Tuesday to 80 years to life in state prison after being convicted of sex-related charges involving three victims, including two former students. The judge referred to the defendant as a “predator” during the sentencing.
Mark Anthony Santo, 54, was found guilty on June 5 of two counts of lewd act on a child under 14, as well as one count each of forcible sexual penetration, forcible oral copulation, assault with intent to commit forcible oral copulation, and assault with intent to commit forcible penetration. The latter two charges were vacated due to overlapping conduct with the more serious charges.
Despite the defendant’s claims of innocence and being a beloved teacher, the judge, Laura Laesecke, dismissed them, stating, “… You forced these young women to relive that behavior … the molestations, the intimate details of what you did to them.”
During the trial, Laesecke mentioned that Santo had been offered a plea deal with a 24-year prison sentence, which she initially thought was high. However, after hearing the evidence, she found it inadequate. She stated, “You are a predator. You are a danger to the community.”
The judge also criticized Santo for requesting to leave the courtroom when the victims were about to give their impact statements. She considered it “quite cowardly” and denied his motion for a new trial.
One of the victims described Santo as a “predator” and revealed that the incident had a lifelong impact. She declared that Santo should be imprisoned indefinitely.
Another victim expressed a desire to talk with Santo and protect him, expressing disappointment that he left the courtroom while they were speaking.
A third victim expressed doubt that Santo understands the consequences of his actions but expressed gratitude for the justice they received.
Santo’s charges originally stemmed from a lewd act committed at his home in La Mirada in 2015 with a 13-year-old family friend. The District Attorney’s Office later included charges relating to the other two victims.
The prosecution alleged that Santo, who taught at Jordan High School and Lindbergh Middle School, inappropriately touched a student at the middle school in the 2012-13 school year and forced oral sex on an 18-year-old woman who had been his seventh-grade student.
During the trial, Santo testified in his defense and denied all wrongdoing.
The judge ordered Santo to be taken into custody following the jury’s verdict, and he has remained in jail since.
If ever paroled from prison, Santo will be required to register as a sex offender.
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