A father whose 14-year-old daughter gave crystal meth to classmates at a St. Paul middle school last fall was sentenced Wednesday to 45 days in jail.

Jerry Castillo, 36, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree drug possession after police found about 2 grams of meth in a bedroom night stand when they searched his home on Oct. 2, 2007.

Earlier that day, his daughter had given meth to six classmates at Hazel Park Middle School Academy. All tasted it and some were sickened by it, court documents said. The girl pleaded guilty in October to second-degree sale of a controlled substance. Castillo has said he did not give his daughter the drugs.

Castillo told Ramsey County District Judge Margaret Marrinan that he had lost his faith and relapsed into drug use. His attorney, Eric Newmark, asked the judge for a stay of adjudication and no additional jail time.

Castillo told the judge that he is the father of eight children, ages 19 to 5, has been with his wife for 21 years and owns two businesses.

"I'm very, very sorry for the inconvenience I've caused any families, particularly my own," Castillo said.

Marrinan gave Castillo a sentence of one year and a day, stayed execution, put him on probation for five years and fined him $300. She gave him credit for 20 days he has already spent in custody but said she wants him "to see what it's like to be away from your family."

The judge said his actions "could have resulted in an unimaginable tragedy. This is an extremely serious thing that happened here."

PAT PHEIFER