Man's Lengthy Sentence Shakes Up Courtroom

[Teacher Mark 53]

CHARLESTON, W.Va.--A judge said he wanted to send a strong message to teachers and staff who cross boundaries with students and sentenced a former Capital High School computer technician to 11 to 25 years in prison for having sex with a 10th grader.

Casey Casto, 24, bowed his head and appeared shaken, as were his family members as the sentence was delivered by Kanawha Circuit Judge Louis "Duke" Bloom. The judge called his behavior "repugnant."

"Children in schools are in a place that's supposed to be safe and secure," Bloom said. "School officials are there acting in place of parents, not to prey on children."

Casto turned himself in to police in October 2007 after the 15-year-old girl's mother checked her cell phone, discovered a relationship between the two and then alerted authorities. He pleaded guilty last December to third-degree sexual assault and sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian.

The judge handed down that sentence despite a favorable psychological evaluation that said Casto's behavior with the student was an isolated incident and not likely to be repeated.

That sentence also came despite the victim's mother's wishes that Casto's sentence be limited to time already served in jail and requests from his defense attorneys that he be given probation or home confinement.

Assistant Prosecutor Fred Giggenbach recommended that Casto receive a sentence of time served. He has been incarcerated for about nine months.

Casto's defense attorney, Bill Forbes, asked Bloom to place Casto on probation or home confinement.

Forbes called Casto's behavior "egregious" and said he was "naive."

"What he did in terms of a girl who was 15 should not have been done," Forbes said. "But this is an unusual case."

Casto was supposed to be sentenced in February but Bloom said he wanted a psychological evaluation to help answers questions he still had about the man. At Thursday's hearing, Bloom asked Casto to explain his behavior.

"What I'd like you to help me understand, is you were 22 and she's 15," Bloom said to him. "That's hard for me to understand. Even harder, you were in a school situation in a position of responsibility and you preyed on a young girl."

Casto replied, "I just started talking to her and had a friendship with her. I can't explain it."

He apologized to the victim, her family and his own family.

"I never meant to cause any harm to (the victim) and I'm sorry her family had to go through this stress," he said.

In February he told Bloom that the sexual incidents took place in his vehicle and at his home. He said the relationship was consensual.

But Bloom said Thursday, "The victim's mother wants me to expect that nine months is sufficient to keep him in line. I'm not sure that is sufficient in this case.

"I'm not sure it sends an acceptable message to employees of the school system that this kind of conduct is acceptable," he said. "I find your conduct totally repugnant."

Casto's family members, seated behind him in the courtroom, began crying after the sentence was given. They left the courtroom in tears after he was led out by a bailiff.

Bloom said he would be willing to reconsider Casto's sentence at a later date.

The girl's mother filed a civil lawsuit against Casto and the Kanawha County Board of Education in January, saying he "made inappropriate comments about her appearance and made inappropriate propositions to lure her into an inappropriate and illegal sexual relationship."

The complaint says Casto "utilized his position in school to arrange for her to be excused from class so that he could meet, kiss, hug, fondle and otherwise inappropriately touch" her during school hours.

Casto was fired after the allegations surfaced. The girl no longer is a student at Capital.

http://dailymail.com/News/200909100337?pag...amp;build=cache

[Nagishkaw 510]

He deserves it, IMHO.

[almaty 19]

to 11 to 25 years in prison for having sex with a 10th grader.

Assistant Prosecutor Fred Giggenbach recommended that Casto receive a sentence of time served. He has been incarcerated for about nine months.

will be over-turned on appeals............

[Teacher Mark 53]

He deserves it, IMHO.

I had an Uncle who was murdered in a bar fight in Charleston. The guy got 5 years. My only question is which is worse?

[almaty 19]

agreed..he will not get any sentence probablya t all exce-pt for time served....

i have seen first time offenders get probation on charges similar ..with no jail time.....

[Ban Hammer 13,651]

he better stock up on astro glide

[Joseph & Ana 0]

Whats funny is that if the genders were reversed most guys would think its a hot fantasy.

[meowmeowmeow 1]

He deserves it, IMHO.

I had an Uncle who was murdered in a bar fight in Charleston. The guy got 5 years. My only question is which is worse?

that's awful...

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Males should get the same break females get.