‘Worst scum of the earth:’ 82-year-old Putnam County man arrested for felony sexual assault on child

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — An 82-year-old man from Georgetown, identified as Gilberto Del Castillo Espana, was arrested on Tuesday for capital felony sexual assault on a victim under 12 years old, alongside charges of resisting an officer without violence.

The arrest follows a report made by the parents of the victim back in May, who expressed concerns about possible child abuse by Del Castillo-Espana.

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The father, fearing repercussions due to their undocumented status, initially hesitated to involve law enforcement. However, noticing alarming changes in their child’s behavior and recurring nightmares, the parents eventually reached out to deputies.

According to the father’s testimony, the child disclosed that Del Castillo-Espana had subjected them to “inappropriate touching” near the groin area and related threats of violence. Additionally, the victim disclosed incidents of rape and subsequent threats from Del Castillo-Espana.

The victim told investigators that Del Castillo-Espana threatened to kill family members if the child spoke about the incident.

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A warrant was issued for Del Castillo-Espana’s arrest, leading deputies to locate and apprehend him at his residence in Georgetown. During the arrest, Espana reportedly resisted authorities. He is currently being held without bond at the Putnam County Jail.

Del Castillo-Espana was retired from the Putnam County School district where he worked as an ESOL coordinator from 2002-2015. Before that he reportedly worked in adult education providing classes for migrant workers beginning in 1998.

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“I am unbelievably proud of this child for having the courage to speak up, despite the threats to family and the concern of being undocumented,” Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach said. “I want to assure our community of our commitment to protecting victims of crimes. No child should endure this horrific crime and be afraid to speak. We are here to help anyone else who Del Castillo-Espana has preyed upon due to his position of power and influence over those less fortunate.”

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office believes there are more victims due to his work in the community, and wants to assure victims and families they are available for support.

“He is the absolute worst scum of the earth in my opinion,” DeLoach said. “He used a position of authority, power to gain control over a family and then victimize their child.”

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Below is a statement from Putnam County School District Superintendent, Dr. Rick Surrency:

“Our number one priority is always the safety of our students. We fully support Sheriff DeLoach and his team and will share any information needed to assist them with the investigation. This former employee has not been with the District since 2015 when he retired. While with the District, he performed his duties effectively. It is very disheartening to hear this news. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and the victim’s family. We encourage anyone who may have something to share related to this investigation to contact the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.”

If you are a victim or have information about any other victims, the PCSO wants you to contact Detective Maria Marman at (386)-326-0488, and Detective Rafael Correa at (386)-326-7010 for Spanish.

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