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Fillmore » Keith Lorraine Gillins -- a Millard High School teacher and former Fillmore mayor -- appeared in court Wednesday on charges of having sex with a female student.
Gillins, 61, did not speak during the brief initial appearance before 4th District Judge Donald Eyre. Gillins, who arrived at court alone, declined to comment after the hearing. His attorney, James Slavens, also declined to comment.
Gillins was ordered to return to court July 8, when he will decide if he wants to have a preliminary hearing. He was charged Tuesday with two counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison on each count.
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Court records show Gillins' wife, Constance Gillins, a 61-year-old elementary school teacher, filed for divorce on May 19. The couple have been married nearly 42 years.
In seeking a protective order against her husband, Constance Gillins referenced an argument they had in April during which she told her daughter that Keith Gillins had "already admitted to an inappropriate relationship," according to court documents.
An attorney representing Constance Gillins declined to comment on whether the relationship was with the alleged victim in the criminal case.
Constance Gillins also claimed in court records that during an argument in January, her husband had grabbed a gun and said, "I'll take care of this now," which the woman took to mean he intended to shoot himself.
In the fall of 2008, she claimed that her husband grabbed her and pushed her against a door and prevented her from leaving their home, according to court records.
Deputy Millard County Attorney Patrick Finlinson said a police investigation is continuing in the criminal case and that his office would decide within the next couple of weeks whether they will file additional charges.
The girl was 17 at the time of the alleged crimes -- on Nov. 17 and Jan. 1. -- and has since turned 18, said Finlinson, who did not disclose her birth date.
Gillins worked at Millard High School from 1973 to 1979, according to the Millard County School District. He left the school to sell insurance and was Fillmore's mayor from 1986 to 1997.
Gillins returned in 2003 to Millard High, where he taught English and coached boys basketball.
"I think he was very much respected," Superintendent David Taylor has said. Taylor added that Gillins' employment contract ended when the school year concluded last month.
A search of Utah court records shows Gillins has a 2005 shoplifting conviction in Provo. Gillins served no jail time and the misdemeanor guilty plea was dismissed after Gillins served six months probation.
