A Montgomery County jury found 77-year-old Patrick Estrella of Clarksburg guilty on two counts of sex abuse of a minor and two counts of third-degree sex offense for sexually assaulting two girls, eight and nine years old, with sentencing set for October and a potential sentence of up to 70 years in prison.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “The charges stem from incidents that occurred in the summer of 2024, at Luxmanor Elementary School, 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/chess teacher, inappropriately touching female campers. 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 with his hands and groin. The defendant was arrested following an investigation by the Montgomery County Police Special Victims Investigations Division and Child Protective Services. 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 State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
Assistant State’s Attorneys Adrienne Ferrell and Margot Wenzel are prosecuting this case.”
