Posted on 09/23/2007 2:09:08 PM PDT by lowbridge
Man sentenced for raping girl
By BRIAN SCHEID
A 30-year-old illegal immigrant was sentenced to at least five years in state prison in Bucks County court Friday, five months after he admitted to repeatedly raping an adolescent girl.
Carlos Salustio, a Mexican immigrant who was living illegally in Warminster, pleaded guilty in April to rape of a child and related charges for as many as 25 sexual incidents with the girl over a two-year period, starting when the girl was 10.
In a tearful speech in front of Judge Albert Cepparulo, the girl, who is now 13, said her family was “torn apart” after Salustio was arrested in December. The victim has been in custody of the county’s Children and Youth agency and separated from her mother since the arrest. Her mother has denied that Salustio ever raped her daughter. The mother and daughter sat on opposite sides of the courtroom Friday.
The victim said she was scared to report Salustio’s abuse, but felt she had to since she did not want him to sexually assault another girl.
“I don’t want another girl to go through what I went through and I don’t want him to do this again,” the victim said in court between sobs. “I hope he never touches another girl again.”
Cepparulo congratulated the victim for reporting the sex crime to police.
“We think that you are very brave,” Cepparulo said. “You are a strong young lady.”
Dressed in a yellow prison jumpsuit, Salustio avoided eye contact with the victim throughout most of Friday’s sentencing. He looked at her only during an apology he made in broken English.
“I want to apologize ... for what I did,” he said. “I want to say I’m sorry for everything.”
He then apologized to his parents, who attended the sentencing.
“I’ve brought shame to them,” he said. “I want to apologize to every single person in this courthouse. I swear to God it’s not going to happen again with anybody.”
Cepparulo sentenced Salustio to no fewer than five years and no more than 20 in state prison, ordered him to pay court costs, attend sexual offender treatment throughout his time in jail and have no contact with the victim. Cepparulo, who ruled Salustio was a “sexually violent predator,” said Salustio would also be deported once he is released from prison.
God help anybody who touches one of my children like that. I would be in jail for either murder or attempted murder.
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