The police investigation immediately involved the Davis County Children's Justice Center.

Syracuse detective Heath Rogers, who investigated the case, said Montoya told him the only contact he had with any of the children was when he placed his flat opened hand against their backs when they prayed in front of class.

"It seemed like a way to reassure them that it's OK to be praying," Montoya told the jury.

He denied doing anything inappropriate to the girls.

He said there are three other instances he touched them.

Once, during a Sunday lesson, one of the girls had her feet up on a chair, a position that made her underwear visible. Montoya said he asked her a couple of times to put her feet on the floor and eventually grabbed her ankle and brought her foot to the floor.

Another time, one girl's dress had a decorative bow that became untied. The girl played with the two ends during class, and Montoya retied it for her.

A third girl and Montoya's son — who was also in the Primary class — were on a soccer team together, and before the game started, they asked him to lift them to the crossbar of the goal so they could hang on it. That's what he did, he said.

Tuesday, the jury heard all the evidence in the case against Montoya. Both the prosecution and the defense rested.

Closing arguments are scheduled for today, as well as the jury's instructions and deliberations.

If convicted, Montoya could face up to life in prison.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com