Judge calls two men 'pigs' for assault of women
May 30 , 2007
Adapted from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Calling two of the defendants "pigs," a judge completed the sentencing of three men in the November 2004 sexual assault of two women in front of a mother and small children.
Earlier this month, the judge sentenced one 21-year-old man to 30 to 60 years in prison plus 70 years' probation on robbery, burglary, conspiracy and multiple counts of indecent sexual assault, assault, terroristic threats, unlawful restraint, and reckless endangerment.
Another 21-year-old pleaded guilty to reduced charges of rape, robbery, burglary, conspiracy, a gun offense, and multiple counts of unlawful restraint, terroristic threats, assault, and reckless endangerment. The judge gave him 20 to 40 years in prison plus 20 years' probation.
The judge referred to both defendants as "pigs."
He gave a third defendant, age 22, 7 ½ to 15 years in prison for robbery, burglary, a gun violation, conspiracy, and multiple counts of unlawful restraint, assault, terroristic threats, and reckless endangerment.
The prosecutor withdrew two rape charges and two indecent sexual assault counts after the 22-year-old agreed to testify against his co-defendants.
The judge credited him for testifying about "the horrific assaults." He said, "I referred to your cousin and [the second 21-year-old] as 'pigs' because that's exactly what they are," but said the 22-year-old was trying to be "an honorable person."
At 1:20 a.m. in 2004, the three men entered a house through a second-story window, according to police reports. Witnesses said the men were looking for a stash of marijuana they believed was inside.
Instead, they encountered three women and three children and proceeded to terrorize, rape and rob them. Witnesses testified that the assailants ordered a 22-year-old and a 19-year-old woman to strip naked in front of a 46-year-old woman and two children and threatened the group with guns. A third child was upstairs.
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