A MUSIC instructor who gave flutes tainted with his semen to elementary school girls has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
John Zeretzke was sentenced to nearly two decades in prison on Wednesday after he pled guilty to six counts of lewd acts against five minors under the age of 14, the California Attorney General announced.
“There is no place in our society for crimes against children,” Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
“We will not tolerate this kind of behavior in our schools or anywhere in our state.
"Our students deserve to be able to learn in a safe environment and we’ll continue to use the full authority of the law to prosecute anyone who exploits children.”
Authorities charged Zeretzke in April of last year, following reports of the allegations that took place between January 1 and April 30 of 2017.
Deputy Attorney General Amanda Casillas said during an opening statement that Zeretzke took pictures and videos of himself ejaculating into flutes, which children were later photographed using, The Orange County Register reported.
Casillas said he also was accused of rubbing a victim's shoulders, massaging her back and whispering that she was pretty into her ear.
Evidence also showed that Zeretzke shared photos of the victims using the flutes in an online chat room, describing how his sexual fantasies were fulfilled by the girls using them, The Orange County Register reported.
Zeretzke plead guilty to the charges, and on Wednesday, was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
The music teacher faces a separate indictment for other allegations, including that he coerced a minor to produce child pornography, according to a statement from the United States Attorney's Office.
He is also accused of trying to entice another victim into sending sexual pictures, travelling to the Philippines with intent to engage in other sexual conduct with minors, and receiving child pornography on the internet twice, the statement said.
If convicted of those charges, Zeretzke would face a maximum sentence of life in prison, the Attorney General said.
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