Former Sun Valley wrestling coach sentenced to 71 years for 47 counts of sexual assault on students

SUN VALLEY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A former Sun Valley high school wrestling coach has been sentenced to 71 years in prison for 47 counts related to the sexual assault of nine athletes, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Terry Gillard, 58, of Sylmar was found guilty in May of 28 felony counts of procuring a child to engage in a lewd act as well as three counts each of lewd act upon a child, lewd act upon a child age 14 or 15 and oral copulation of a person under 18, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. He was also found guilty of 10 misdemeanor counts of child molestation.

Gillard served as the wrestling coach at John H. Francis Polytechnic High School as well as the Boys and Girls Club of San Fernando.

Prosecutors say he abused the young athletes between 1991 and 2017, sometimes forcing them to have sex with each other. Gillard, at times, involved himself with those victims.

The victims included seven boys and two girls between the ages of 11 and 17, prosecutors said.

At his sentencing hearing Tuesday, Gillard seemed to show no emotion as he listened to his former students tell the court the pain he caused them.

"They looked up to him as their father, as their parent, as their role model, and now their youth has been shattered. He has robbed them of their innocence and now Mr. Gillard must pay the price for what he has done," said Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Hayden Zacky.

DEVELOPING: This story will be updated as more information becomes available.