'It is not forgivable': Man accused of repeatedly raping adopted daughter gets 5 life sentences

By Caleb Downs,San Antonio Express-News

A man who sexually abused his adopted daughter for more than 15 years, fathered three of her children and threatened her into silence received five life sentences on Tuesday during an emotional hearing in a San Antonio courtroom.

Eusebio Castillo, 48, and his wife, Laura Castillo, 47, were accused of sexually assaulting their niece and adopted daughter, Abigail Alvarado, for more than 15 years, leading to the birth of three children who were raised to believe their mother was their sister.

"You took a little girl and pretended to offer her a loving home. You had her call you 'Dad' and 'Mom.' Then you began doing unspeakable damage and harm to her at the age of 9," said State District Judge Joey Contreras at the beginning of an emotional, angry address to Eusebio Castillo.

"It is not forgivable. It boggles my mind how someone can do that to their own baby," he added.

Eusebio Castillo, a former Army sergeant, pleaded guilty to the sexual assault charges on Oct. 1 to  in an attempt to avoid life in prison. He elected to let Judge Contreras decide his fate.

Laura Castillo pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated sexual assault and was sentenced to 33 years in prison in July. She remains in a state prison.

Prior to Tuesday's sentencing, prosecutor Steven Speir urged the judge to hand down the most severe penalty to Castillo.

"I have never encountered a situation where someone has been sexually assaulted more than 1,000 times," he said. "The level of perversion is unreal."

Eusebio Castillo's defense attorney, Anthony Cantrell, acknowledged his client's crimes and apologized to Alvarado.

He pointed to Eusebio Castillo's cancer, which doctors have said has a 60 percent chance of killing him within 5 years.

And he said he worries about the justice system handing down "ridiculous" sentences for publicity.

Contreras said that as a judge he represents his community and speaks for them, and sometimes certain crimes evoke such outrage that a "powerful component of symbolism" is required.

He then read out the sentences on each of the 10 counts of aggravated sexual assault against Castillo.

On the first two counts, Castillo received consecutive life sentences. He received three more concurrent life sentences. For the remaining counts, Castillo was sentenced to 20 years each.

As the sentences were called out, Alvarado and her husband, Rudy, broke down in tears. After the sentencing, Alvarado and her husband, as well as their prosecution team stood side by side facing Castillo. Alvarado read aloud a written statement, laying out Castillo's crimes to him.

"You were a monster," she said to a stone-faced Castillo.

"The punishment you received today is the punishment you deserve for being so evil," she continued.

MySA.com does not normally identify victims of sexual abuse but Alvarado had previously told her story to a reporter and allowed her name to be used.

Outside of the courtroom, Abigail and Rudy embraced, relieved that they had received justice.

"That's what I was asking for," she said of Castillo's sentence. "I'm just glad it's over."