Editor’s note: this article contains a mention of child sexual abuse that some readers may find disturbing.

Christopher Rodriguez, a former teacher at the UCLA Krieger Child Care Center, was sentenced June 6 to seven years in county jail for multiple counts of child sexual abuse.  

Rodriguez, who worked at UCLA Early Care and Education centers for nearly 25 years, was originally charged with abusing children under his care between July and December 2023. He was convicted on nine charges, including sexual battery against a minor and willful cruelty to a child, on April 25. 

Rodriguez may only have to serve half of the seven-year sentence under the discretion of the Los Angeles County Jail and Sheriff’s Department, because he was charged with misdemeanors, said Danielle De Smeth, an attorney for the victims.

[Related: Former UCLA child care teacher convicted on 9 counts of child abuse]

Rodriguez will continue to be registered as a sex offender and have to pay multiple fines, according to a press release from Herman Law, a separate firm representing an additional victim in a civil lawsuit. De Smeth, the managing attorney at Bamieh & De Smeth, said his registration as a sex offender will last for 10 years, and then will be reviewed.

Rodriguez is also legally required to follow protective orders for the victims and the UCLA campus until June 2029.

During the sentencing, De Smeth said the victims’ parents advocated for Rodriguez to receive the maximum sentence of seven years. Two parents read statements from their children, which are protected under Marsy’s Law, a California statute that protects victims’ privacy. 

“They (the victims’ families) all agree that this isn’t justice for what happened, but they also understand that it is the best that the judge can do within the confines of our system,” De Smeth said.  

A UCLA spokesperson did not reply in time to a request for comment on the sentencing. 

Rodriguez was originally tried in 2024, but the trial was declared a mistrial after jurors were hung on 11 misdemeanor counts. He was later found not guilty on one charge, with the jury hung on four additional charges April 25. 

[Related: Judge declares mistrial after hung jury in trial of former UCLA child care teacher]

Herman Law also filed a civil lawsuit June 6 against the UC Board of Regents. The complaint alleged that UCLA was negligent in mandated reporting, supervision and investigations into reported complaints, according to the firm’s press release. 

The firm also alleged in the press release that the university allowed Rodriguez continual access to the victims, despite early “red flags” raised by parents and staff. 

“This sentencing brings some accountability, but we must now focus on the larger failure – how this abuse was allowed to happen and how long it was ignored,” said Gregory Glazer, an attorney at Herman Law, in the press release. 

Michael Machat, an attorney representing Rodriguez, did not reply in time for comment on the sentencing. 

De Smeth said Bamieh & De Smeth also believes UCLA failed to protect the child victims for 25 years. She added that the firm hopes to reach a settlement with the university before a lawsuit is filed. 

“If they’re not willing to offer them a meaningful compensation – for everything that they’ve been through – then we will certainly be filing a lawsuit,” De Smeth said.