The brave nine-year-old victim of a perverted Harlem teacher read a heart-wrenching statement at her abuser’s sentencing in Manhattan Supreme Court today.
“The last time he touched me I cried because he hurt me so much,” the brave little girl read from a written statement as her mother stood at her side weeping. “He’s an ugly evil monster and should go to jail for a long time.”
Disgraced former P.S. 208 teacher Rafael Sosa, 30, sat less than five feet from his young victim and stared intently at her as she urged Judge A. Kirke Bartley to punish her abuser.
A jury acquitted Sosa of the top counts of felony sex abuse charges but convicted him on the lesser misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child. He’d instructed the young girl, who was in third grade at the time, to write him daily email love letters and call him “Daddy,” prosecutors had said.
When Sosa was asked whether he wanted to speak, he made a terse statement. “I’m sincerely sorry for all of this,” he said, without emotion as he looked at the judge. “I respect the jury’s decision and I hope you’ll have some mercy.”
The judge wasn’t swayed by Sosa’s words and sentenced the sick teacher to one year in jail – the maximum allowed for the misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child.
“This is every parents greatest fear,” the judge said. “Those emails crossed way, way over a bright line of propriety particularly for a teacher.”
“The magnitude of his breach of trust in my view mandates a higher sanction.”
Manhattan ADA Coleen Walsh requested the maximum punishment for the methodical predator who exploited his position as a teacher to get close to his young victim.
“He told her she had to email him I love you, I miss you, my heart belongs to you,” she said. “These emails speak to a relationship of intimacy, a relationship of romantic love and I’d even argue a sexual relationship.”
Sosa’s lawyer Jonathan Sims painted his client as a celebrated teacher who was misguided in his attempts to help and protect the young victim.
“This was an overzealous teacher who was trying to do the best he could for this family and went over board.”
As Sosa was cuffed and taken into custody, his family members wailed.
The victim’s family declined to comment.