Criminal charges filed against a teaching assistant at Sunset Elementary School accused of molesting a 4-year-old girl on the campus were dismissed Thursday due to insufficient evidence, officials said.
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Jaime Godinez was charged last year with two counts of lewd acts upon the child in the same alleged incident on Jan. 15, 2025, at the San Ysidro School District campus, according to a criminal complaint filed by the District Attorney’s Office.
The charges were dismissed Thursday after prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss, citing that they did not have enough evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“Though the San Diego District Attorney’s Office fully believes and supports the 4-year-old victim and her family, and commends them for their strength in speaking up, in order to proceed to trial, we must have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to prove each and every element of the crime charge,” Deputy District Attorney Tereza Guzman said.
Although the criminal case was dismissed, Godinez, the school district and the girl’s teacher are still named defendants in a civil case that was filed after the criminal charges were announced last year. The litigation was filed on behalf of the girl by her guardian and remains ongoing.
The lawsuit lists three allegations, including negligence, sexual assault and false imprisonment. It asks the judge to award the plaintiff unspecified damages.
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According to the lawsuit, Godinez allegedly approached the then-4-year-old girl while the rest of her class was sleeping and molested her, according to the lawsuit.
After the district was informed by the San Diego Police Department of the allegations, Godinez was immediately put on administrative leave. The lawsuit alleged the district and the girl’s teacher failed to properly act in the aftermath of the incident — an allegation the district once again denied on Thursday.
“The District fully cooperated with the San Diego Police Department, Community Care Licensing, and the judicial system throughout the duration of their respective investigations,” district officials said in a statement released after the case’s dismissal.
“The District reaffirms that all actions taken were consistent with established laws, protocols, and privacy protections.”
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District officials said Godinez is no longer employed at the district.
