A jury found Patrick Estrella, 77, of Clarksburg, guilty of sex abuse for sexually assaulting two young girls he was supervising at a summer camp.
Estrella faces up to 70 years on two counts of sex abuse of a minor and two counts of third-degree sex offense. The two female victims were eight and nine years old.
He will be sentenced Oct. 24.
According to court records, the incidents occurred during the summer of 2024 at Luxmanor Elementary School in Rockville where the American Chinese School rented space for a summer camp.
A teenager volunteering at the camp observed the defendant, who was working as a camp counselor and chess teacher, inappropriately touching female campers, according to court records. The teen set up his cell phone on a ledge and used his watch to remotely record video of the defendant touching several girls inappropriately.
Estrella worked for the American Chinese School Summer Camp from 2013 – 2024.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to the young man who witnessed these assaults on vulnerable victims and decided to act. The video he recorded became crucial evidence in the case. Thanks to his brave actions, the thorough investigation by Montgomery County Police and the work of our prosecution team, the defendant will no longer be able to harm another child in our community,” said Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
