Life Sentenced Imposed For Jeffco Man Who Lured Teen To Prostitution
GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - A man convicted of turning a teenage girl into a prostitute was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.
Robert Gonzalez, 41, befriended the girl when she was 14 and then sold her for sex on Craigslist.
The judge in the case said Wednesday that Gonzalez's crimes were incomparable.
Gonzalez was convicted of about a dozen charges stemming from two years of abuse. He was the brother-in-law of the victim's foster mother and school counselor.
"If depravity had a face, it would be the face of Robert Gonzalez. The things that he inflicted on this young girl over a two-year period are beyond the comprehension of most of the people in our community," Jefferson County DA Pete Weir said.
Prosecutors said he forced the teen into prostitution so he could benefit financially and obtain drugs. He also got the victim hooked on meth.
The victim was in court Wednesday. She is now reportedly clean and doing well.
Investigators earlier said Gonzalez would ply the girl with drugs and alcohol before taking her to motels, where he would force her to have sex with men in exchange for money and drugs.
The girl told police she met with at least 30 men over two years.
Prosecutors said the abuse included physical and sexual abuse.
Wednesday's sentencing was emotional for the victim's family -- they cried, hugged and said the sentence is exactly what Gonzalez deserves -- and law enforcement officials choked up while describing the abuse.
"I am very happy with the court system and the way this worked out," the victim's grandmother said. "He was not given a day that he should not serve for what he has done to my granddaughter.
Gonzalez's lawyer said his client is innocent and will appeal the sentence. Gonzalez did not speak in court. He could, however, be seen shaking his head several times throughout the hearing, as if to disagree.
