Karleen sentenced to 10 years for rape

LIHU’E — A 22-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping a female who was under 16 at the time of the assault.

Cory Karleen said he was sorry for what he did in July of last year. “I hurt the girl. I hurt the family,” he said, while sobbing before Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Watanabe on Thursday.

The victim’s mother said that her daughter still has dreams and flashbacks about being attacked.

“With the help of a therapist, she still has flashbacks, but not as bad as before,” said her mother. She said that, at one point, her daughter said to her, “Mom, I don’t think God likes me.”

Karleen’s attorney, Alfred Castillo Jr., said that his client acknowledged that what he did was wrong. However, he pointed out that the relationship between Karleen and the victim continued for two months before it was reported to officers of the Kaua’i Police Department.

Castillo also said that Karleen was a month over 21, while the victim was 15 years and five months old, when the assault took place.

Before sentencing Karleen, Watanabe pointed out that he showed remorse in court. She said maybe that’s a sign that the healing process has begun.

“You hurt your family as well as the victim’s family,” Watanabe said to Karleen.

Karleen’s parents and an uncle were in the courtroom.

Watanabe sentenced Karleen to 10 years in prison on two counts of second-degree sexual assault, to run concurrently.

Karleen could have been sentenced to 20 years in prison, since each count carries a maximum time of 10 years in prison.

According to court records, Karleen was arrested in October 2004 in Kapa’a, after KPD officers responded to a sexual-assault complaint made by the victim’s father at the end of the previous month.

The victim met Karleen in June 2004, according to court records. The next month, Karleen picked up the victim after school, and they went to ‘Anini Beach Park, where Karleen had a van parked.