PLEASANT GROVE — A volunteer parent who worked with a high school band was charged Monday with numerous counts of offering a student money in exchange for nude pictures.
Luis Mendez-Gamino, 23, of Lindon, is charged in 4th District Court with 14 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, and six counts of criminal solicitation, a class A misdemeanor.
Mendez-Gamino is described in charging documents as "an assistant band teacher at Pleasant Grove High School." But Alpine District spokesman David Stephenson said "he was never an official employee with the school district. He was a volunteer with the band."
Mendez-Gamino asked a 17-year-old girl via Instagram messaging to send him pictures, according to charging documents.
"He offered the student $20-$25 per nude photo she sent, and said he would pay her $400 or more. He told the student he had previously paid other girls for similar photos, and asked her to keep the conversation secret," the charges state.
When interviewed by police, Mendez-Gamino admitted to soliciting photos from the girl and claimed he had similar pictures from at least five other girls, according to charging documents. During a search of his phone, police reported finding "over 100 images and/or videos of child pornography."
Mendez-Gamino was originally booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of 100 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
In conversations with the 17-year-old girl, Mendez-Gamino refers to himself as a "sugar daddy" and "then told the 17 year-old female that he had previously paid another girl more than $400 for nude pictures," according to a police affidavit.
Stephenson said even though he was a volunteer at the school, a background check was still conducted, which Mendez-Gamino passed in 2015.
"We’re always disappointed and alarmed when we hear of an individual who violated the trust of the institution,” Stephenson said.