Former school employee sentenced for sexual abuse

He gets 18 terms of 25 years to life for multiple offenses

A former Napa County school employee charged for sexually abusing five children is likely to live the remainder of his life in state prison.

Benjamin Casas, 34, who used to work for Pope Valley Elementary School, was sentenced Monday by Napa Superior Court Judge Francisca Tischer to 18 terms of 25 years to life. Eight of those terms will be served one after the other, while the remainder will be served concurrently.

Prosecutors had requested the sentence in a court filing Friday.

Casas was convicted Feb. 8 on four counts of oral copulation on a minor and 18 counts of committing lewd or lascivious acts, following a two-week trial.

Casas was arrested Oct. 1, 2022, in Pope Valley. The Napa County District Attorney's charged him with 23 counts of sexually abusing two boys and three girls; one count was dismissed mid-trial.

The DA's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the sentencing. Andy Rubinger, Casas' defense attorney, said the sentencing went as he expected. He filed a notice of appeal for the court decision on Monday.

The charges against Casas were connected to two boys and three girls who were each under the age of 14 when the abuse took place. Now adults, they each testified in the trial.

The abuse occurred over a decade while Casas worked at the Pope Valley Elementary School. Among other charges, prosecutors said Casas had engaged in a sexual relationship with a fifth grader that he sexually assaulted on campus multiple times.

Casas, who testified on his own behalf, admitted to several lesser allegations but denied that he had engaged in sexual activities with minors.

Rubinder noted that, with the sentence, he doesn't believe Casas will ever be released on parole, though that would be up to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

“He was given a pretty lengthy sentence so I don't see him being released ever,” Rubinder said.