Ariel Castro, the Cleveland man accused of holding three women captive in his home for nearly a decade, agreed to a plea deal Friday to avoid the death penalty.
Prosecutors said the 53-year-old rapist would be sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years. He was charged in a 977-count indictment that included kidnapping, rape and other assaults.
The former school bus driver entered the guilty plea in court Friday morning. When asked if he understood he would never be released from prison, Castro told the judge: "I do understand that, your honor," reports the Associated Press.
He added, "I knew I was pretty much going to get the book thrown at me," while wearing glasses and making eye contact with the judge.
The sticking point on a plea deal had been whether the prosecutor would rule out the death penalty. The Cuyahoga County prosecutor had kept that issue under review.
At one point, when asked by the judge if he had any questions, Castro said he wanted to say that he "was a victim as a child and it just kept going," before being cut off. He also said "my addiction to pornography and my sexual problem has really taken a toll on my mind."
The three women—Amanda Berry, Gina Dejesus and Michelle Knight—were separately kidnapped by Castro between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old, respectively. Castro remained friends with the family of one of the women and even attended vigils over the years marking her disappearance.
Castro is accused of repeatedly restraining the women and chaining them to a pole in a basement, a bedroom heater and inside a van. The charges alleged Castro assaulted one woman with a vacuum cord around her neck when she tried to escape.
Authorities say that he also fathered a 6-year-old daughter with Berry. They allege that on the day the child was born, Christmas 2006, Castro raped one of the other women, who had helped deliver the baby.
Knight said her five pregnancies ended after Castro starved and repeatedly punched her.
The women escaped Castro's house May 6 with the help of one of Castro's neighbors. Castro was arrested hours later.
According to ABC News, attorney Kathryn T. Joseph released a statement on behalf of the victims in response to Castro's plea deal saying:
"Amanda, Gina, and Michelle are relieved by today's plea. They are satisfied by this resolution to the case, and are looking forward to having these legal proceedings draw to a final close in the near future. They continue to desire their privacy."
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