Tooele's East Elementary School became the unlikely backdrop for one of the year's highest-profile court cases when popular third-grade teacher Christopher Burton was accused of fondling eight of his students during class time.

Burton, 26, pleaded guilty Aug. 21 to eight counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child, a second-degree felony. He was sentenced by 3rd District Court Judge Mark Kouris to eight to 30 years in the Utah State Prison.

During the sentencing, one parent said her son had been bullied and called names at school. Other parents said their boys cried themselves to sleep at night because they could not understand how someone they trusted could betray them.

Burton was taken into custody March 30 after a third-grade boy in a class adjacent to Burton's told his parents that he had been molested during class.

In May and June, the victims appeared in a preliminary hearing. Barely able to peer above the witness box, each boy testified that Burton made them sit on his lap before putting his hands in their pockets and fondling them through their clothing.

Defense attorney Tara Isaacson told the court at Burton's sentencing that it took a long time for him be able to "look in the mirror and say, 'I'm a sex offender.'"

In an unrelated, yet equally disturbing case, respected Tooele County 4-H leader Curtis Crittenden pleaded guilty to three counts of sex abuse of a child, second-degree felonies, and three counts of forcible sex abuse, also second-degree felonies.

Crittenden, 32, told the court that he invited four young boys to spend the night in his home between June 1 and June 28, and then fondled them while they slept.

According to court documents, the boys -- ages 12 to 14 -- are all Spanish-speaking Wendover residents. Neither the victims nor their family members attended the court proceedings.

Crittenden was arrested July 2 after the boys reported the crime to a soccer coach who then called police. The boys were interviewed at the Children's Justice Center and Crittenden was brought to the police station for questioning. Crittenden told police he had a problem that began several years ago when he served an LDS mission in Guatemala. He also reportedly admitted to sexually abusing two boys, ages 13 and 14, while attending Utah State University.