Brooklyn man gets 22 years in prison for rape of teenage Gravesend girl
A 42-year-old Brooklyn man was sentenced on Tuesday to a prison term of 22 years to years to life for the 2013 rape of a young teenage girl in an apartment building basement.
In March, a jury found the defendant, Bennett Castello, guilty on counts of rape, sexual abuse and sexually motivated burglary. Castello, a Midwood resident, was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Danny Chun.
According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Castello followed his 13-year-old victim into the elevator of her Gravesend building on April 29, took the elevator to the basement where he threatened her out with a pair of scissors and ultimately raped her.
The young victim reported the attack to her parents who called the authorities and took the stand against Castello at trial.
“This case proves absolutely that this defendant cannot function as a law-abiding member of society,” Judge Chun said, as the New York Post reports. “The defendant has shown no remorse.”
“This young girl’s innocence has been lost, and her life forever changed as a result of this vicious attack,” Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said in a released statement.
Castello’s defense attorney, Harvey Herbert, is asking that his client be placed in protective custody. “He feels very endangered. He’s already had some threats.”
