Mansentencedtolife inprison inchildsexcase
A man convicted of raping a 4-year-old child placed in his custody byMontgomery County Children Services was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Teaven Curtiss, 51, was convicted earlier this month by a Montgomery County CommonPleas Court jury of one count of rape of a child younger than 10 and gross sexual imposition. Prosecutors in the case filed a sentencingmemorandumTuesday asking a judge to sentence Curtiss to the maximumpossible sentence -- life without parole.
“Because theharmcaused by his crimes is so egregious and the likelihood that he will re-offend so high, the state asks this court to impose a term of life without parole,” the court document filed by prosecutors says.
Judge Mary Huffman imposed the sentence. “I heard the testimony at trial. Itwas compelling,” the judge said during the sentencing hearing Wednesday. “I guess I can only say that your statements in the pre-sentencing investigation are arrogant in the very least. You take absolutely no responsibility for your behavior.”
The judge said the impact onthe child isoverwhelming.
“You appear to have no remorsewhatsoever for your conduct and thedamage you have caused to that child,” the judge said.
The judge also imposed a 5-year sentence for the gross sexual imposition conviction and ordered that be served back-to-back with the life sentence.
“Iam further going to find, sir, that these two multiple offenses were committed as part of one ormore courses of conduct andthe harm, caused by you, for these two ormore multipleoffensesweresogreat, sounusualthatnosingleprison term for these offenses could possibly, adequately reflect the seriousness of your conduct,” Huffman said.
The Dayton Daily News exclusively reported thatDayton policewere investigating allegations that two children were placed by Children Services in a home with sexual assault suspects. The report says before Montgomery County Children Services placed the children in his home, Curtiss was the suspect ofmultiple sex-related crimes dating back to 2006 but was never convicted.
Thereport also says a teenager living in the home previously was accused of sexually assaulting a child in another county.
The report says a 4-yearold girl and her brother told their mother that she was being sexually assaulted by Curtiss, but the girl was not removedfromthehomeafter it was reported to Children Services.
Curtisswas indicted over the summer and at the time Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. issued a statement acknowledging that the child was known to Children Services.
“If those responsible would have heeded the red flags present, the abuse this child suffered may never have happened,” he said. “This is another tragic child abuse case, showing thatwe must be vigilant, and continue to put in extra care and effort, which anyone involved in these types of cases should expect. Children deserve no less.”
Montgomery County Children Services spokesman Kevin Lavoie said previously the agency was unable to comment on the case at the time.
“We have been unable to obtain the police report that was giventothe media in this case. Therefore, we cannot comment on information that we have no knowledge of,” he said.
Prosecutors said in the sentencing memorandum that Curtiss engaged in grooming behaviors, gaining the trust of not just the child but also the adults around her. They said Curtiss could have played a positive role in the child’s life, but instead turnedwhatwas supposedto beatemporarysafehavenfor her into a living nightmare.
“She had nowhere to go, no one to turn to for help,” prosecutors said. “So (the child) learned to live through this horror.”
Meanwhile, Curtiss chose not speak during the sentencing. A defense memorandum filed on his behalf asked the court to impose 15 years to life in prison -- the only other sentence available for the count of rape of a child under 10 years old. The defense also said that Curtiss plans to appeal his conviction.
A number of familymembersandfriendsofCurtissalso wrote toHuffman telling her that he is a valuable member of their family and life.