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| Cleveland Kidnapper Claims He’s ‘Not a Monster’ at Hearing | Cleveland Kidnapper Claims He’s ‘Not a Monster’ at Hearing |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| CLEVELAND — A former school bus driver who pleaded guilty to more than 900 counts, including aggravated murder, kidnapping and rape, after imprisoning three women in his west Cleveland house for a decade, said that he was sick, not a monster, at his sentencing hearing on Thursday. | CLEVELAND — A former school bus driver who pleaded guilty to more than 900 counts, including aggravated murder, kidnapping and rape, after imprisoning three women in his west Cleveland house for a decade, said that he was sick, not a monster, at his sentencing hearing on Thursday. |
| The man, Ariel Castro, 53, had agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors that sentenced him to life in prison plus an additional 1,000 years, but which allowed him to avoid a potential death sentence. Judge Michael J. Russo of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court accepted the plea deal in court on Thursday. | |
| Before Mr. Castro spoke, one of the victims, Michelle Knight, said that while she was being held captive, she cried every night but believed that she would make it out alive somehow. Then she addressed Mr. Castro, saying that she would overcome what he did to her. | Before Mr. Castro spoke, one of the victims, Michelle Knight, said that while she was being held captive, she cried every night but believed that she would make it out alive somehow. Then she addressed Mr. Castro, saying that she would overcome what he did to her. |
| “I spent 11 years in hell,” she said. “Now your hell is just beginning.” | “I spent 11 years in hell,” she said. “Now your hell is just beginning.” |
| Mr. Castro spoke after Ms. Knight and family members of the other victims described hellish conditions in his home and sadistic treatment at his hands. | Mr. Castro spoke after Ms. Knight and family members of the other victims described hellish conditions in his home and sadistic treatment at his hands. |
| “These people are trying to paint me as a monster,” Mr. Castro said. “I’m not a monster. I’m sick.” | “These people are trying to paint me as a monster,” Mr. Castro said. “I’m not a monster. I’m sick.” |
| He apologized to the victims, and said that he was not a violent person and blamed his actions on addiction to pornography. | He apologized to the victims, and said that he was not a violent person and blamed his actions on addiction to pornography. |
| Earlier testimony from law enforcement officers on Thursday painted a picture of Mr. Castro as calculating, remorseless and sadistic, a man who kidnapped the three women, repeatedly beating and raping them, and often keeping them chained to a pole in the basement of his house. | Earlier testimony from law enforcement officers on Thursday painted a picture of Mr. Castro as calculating, remorseless and sadistic, a man who kidnapped the three women, repeatedly beating and raping them, and often keeping them chained to a pole in the basement of his house. |
| Joshua Barr of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation testified that Mr. Castro had a gun in the home and 92 pounds of chains that were used to restrain the women. Prosecutors also offered photographs from the home showing an elaborate system of alarms on the doors and a motorcycle helmet that Mr. Castro forced the women to wear when he raped them. Mr. Castro also made the women play Russian roulette and threatened them with a gun. | Joshua Barr of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation testified that Mr. Castro had a gun in the home and 92 pounds of chains that were used to restrain the women. Prosecutors also offered photographs from the home showing an elaborate system of alarms on the doors and a motorcycle helmet that Mr. Castro forced the women to wear when he raped them. Mr. Castro also made the women play Russian roulette and threatened them with a gun. |
| As the hearing started, Mr. Castro’s lawyers sought unsuccessfully to limit the details about the sexual assaults committed by Mr. Castro, saying a public airing of such information would be harmful to the three women, to a child born to one of the women during her captivity and to Mr. Castro. | As the hearing started, Mr. Castro’s lawyers sought unsuccessfully to limit the details about the sexual assaults committed by Mr. Castro, saying a public airing of such information would be harmful to the three women, to a child born to one of the women during her captivity and to Mr. Castro. |
| Craig Weintraub, one of Mr. Castro’s lawyers, said the court should not allow specifics related to “vicious sexual assaults” which would be"inappropriate to share with the world.” | Craig Weintraub, one of Mr. Castro’s lawyers, said the court should not allow specifics related to “vicious sexual assaults” which would be"inappropriate to share with the world.” |
| Mr. Weintraub said that Mr. Castro had lived a “double life” for 10 years and had accepted responsibility for his crimes. Mr. Weintraub also said that Mr. Castro suffered from mental illness, although that condition had not interfered with Mr. Castro’s ability to understand the plea agreement he signed. | Mr. Weintraub said that Mr. Castro had lived a “double life” for 10 years and had accepted responsibility for his crimes. Mr. Weintraub also said that Mr. Castro suffered from mental illness, although that condition had not interfered with Mr. Castro’s ability to understand the plea agreement he signed. |
| In a previous court appearance, Mr. Castro said he had been a victim of sexual abuse when he was younger and that he had an addiction to pornography. | In a previous court appearance, Mr. Castro said he had been a victim of sexual abuse when he was younger and that he had an addiction to pornography. |
| Of the 937 charges to which Mr. Castro has pleaded guilty, two are murder charges related to Mr. Castro punching, kicking and stomping on the stomach of one of the women when she became pregnant after Mr. Castro had raped her, prosecutors said. Mr. Castro had also thrown her down stairs and withheld food from her during her pregnancies. | Of the 937 charges to which Mr. Castro has pleaded guilty, two are murder charges related to Mr. Castro punching, kicking and stomping on the stomach of one of the women when she became pregnant after Mr. Castro had raped her, prosecutors said. Mr. Castro had also thrown her down stairs and withheld food from her during her pregnancies. |
| Another of his victims, Amanda Berry, gave birth to a girl while in captivity, and DNA tests have shown that Mr. Castro is the child’s father, according to prosecutors. | Another of his victims, Amanda Berry, gave birth to a girl while in captivity, and DNA tests have shown that Mr. Castro is the child’s father, according to prosecutors. |
| The women — Ms. Berry, Gina DeJesus and Ms. Knight — were kidnapped separately by Mr. Castro between 2002 and 2004. At the time they were kidnapped, Ms. Berry was 16, Ms. DeJesus was 14 and Ms. Knight was in her early 20s. They were freed in May after a neighbor heard cries for help from Mr. Castro’s house and Ms. Berry was able to first kick through, and then crawl out of a door of a house with her child. | |
| Barbara Johnson of the Cleveland Police Department testified Thursday that when she arrived at the home the day of the rescue, the women were terrified. | Barbara Johnson of the Cleveland Police Department testified Thursday that when she arrived at the home the day of the rescue, the women were terrified. |
| “All three of them were very pale — still kind of reluctant, not really sure what was happening,” Ms. Johnson told the judge. “Thin, pale, scared.” | “All three of them were very pale — still kind of reluctant, not really sure what was happening,” Ms. Johnson told the judge. “Thin, pale, scared.” |
Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Christine Hauser contributed reporting. | Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Christine Hauser contributed reporting. |