US teacher found guilty of kissing 9-year-old student

WASHINGTON - A 62-year-old Osceola County teacher has been found guilty of lewd and lascivious behavior towards a 9-year-old student.

Francisco Santiago, who was on trial for kissing a student, was found guilty in the case that didn’t have any physical evidence, just the words of the little girl against his.

“My teacher, the person I trusted to guide me, to help me, to teach me, stuck his tongue in my mouth,” Wftv.com quoted prosecutor Natalie Stratis-Malak as saying during closing arguments.

It may have also been Francisco Santiago’s own words that sealed his fate.

“I think that was the nail in the coffin for lack of a better term,” defense attorney Rhiannon Arnold said.

“Did it happen, yes or no?” a detective asked Santiago during a taped interview. Yes, it happened,” he replied.

Santiego’s attorney argued the 62-year-old teacher has health issues and after being drilled by a detective for 45 minutes, just wanted to end his ordeal but all in vain.

In the end, Santiago was led out of court in handcuffs and his family walked away in tears. (ANI)