A former Maryland school aide who confessed to sexually abusing and exploiting young students was sentenced to 100 years in prison on Thursday.
Deonte Carraway, 24, was previously indicted by a grand jury in 2016 on 270 charges of child abuse and child pornography. In January, he pleaded guilty in federal court, admitting to recording at least a dozen young boys engaging in sexual activities inside Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary School in Glenarden, reports the Washington Post. He was a volunteer at the school.
The 100-year sentence covers 23 counts of child sex abuse and pornography, which consists of one charge for each child authorities say endured the abuse.
Carraway’s public defender reportedly argued that Carraway was an abuse victim himself and has an IQ of 60.
In July, Carraway wrote a letter to the judge asking all charges against him to be dropped due to insufficient legal representation. He claims he hadn’t heard from his lawyer in over a year.
Authorities say Carraway manipulated children, ranging from ages 9 to 13, into sending him explicit images through messenger app, KIK. He also recorded children performing sex acts, according to local and federal law enforcement.
“You did your best trying to protect your children,” Prince George’s County Judge Beverly Woodard said to parents who were openly weeping during the sentencing. “I think us as a community, as a county, failed you. Never did I imagine that it would be possible that a predator would be roaming the halls. As parents, I know that you have a heavy heart. But I urge you to remain strong.”
Before becoming a judge, Woodward spent 12 years as a prosecutor for child abuse cases in Prince George. She says in those 12 years, she had never heard a “more horrific” event than the one presented to her on Thursday.
Carraway was previously sentenced to 75 years in prison by a federal court on related charges.
In addition to being a teacher’s aide, Carraway was the director of a youth choir in Glenarden. He was also a babysitter and would offer to walk children to and from school or help them with their homework, according to prosecutors.
Authorities say Carraway told students he would give them cell phones if they joined a club he created, which required sending him inappropriate pictures to join. He threatened to report the children to police or tell their parents if they did not continue to send him pictures.
Uncovering the Child Sex Abuse, Questioning from Parents
Carraway’s abuse was discovered when an uncle who was monitoring the cell phone of his nephew, a student at the school, found explicit images and alerted authorities, reports Fox News.
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks says state prosecutors intentionally pursued a more severe sentence than the federal term to increase the likelihood Carraway will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Parents are questioning how Carraway was allowed to commit the abuse on school property during the school day. They also question why he was able to be alone with children in a Glenarden government building where some of the abuse also occurred.
Several parents have filed civil lawsuits against Carraway, the city of Glenarden and the Prince George’s County Public School system.
“We are grateful for the court’s very strong sentence,” says Timothy F. Maloney, an attorney who represented several families in the case. “Now that the criminal cases have been concluded, our clients will now be able to seek relief in the pending civil cases.”
The Prince George County Public School system says it has created a task force to help change the way it handles the reporting of sexual abuse.
