Ex-teacher’s aide molests DOZENS of kids, claims he has a child’s mind [UPDATE]

A former Maryland teacher’s aide who molested at least 23 children was sentenced Thursday to an additional 100 years behind bars.

According to WBAL, Prince George’s County Judge Beverly Woodard handed down the sentence after Deonte Carraway, 24, pleaded guilty to 23 counts of state child sex abuse and pornography charges—one for each child authorities say he abused.

“You did your best trying to protect your children,” Judge Woodard said to a courtroom of weeping parents. “I think us as a community, as a county, failed you.”

Several of the victimized children still suffer from night terrors. One 10-year-old was so distraught that he had to sit under a table to recall the abuse to prosecutors, The Washington Post reported.

“Today’s sentence is one that is fashioned to make sure that Mr. Carraway never has the opportunity to walk freely among us as a community again,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks said. “This happened multiplied by 23, and it’s not just the 23 kids, but their family members who are here still crying.”

As CrimeOnline reported in August, Carraway was sentenced to 75 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to 15 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor to produce child pornography.

Prosecutors said the federal charges stemmed from the ex-aide abusing at least 12 children ranging in age from 9 to 13 years old. One of his victims was a child with special needs.

Carraway abused students at Sylvania Woods Elementary School in Glenarden by forcing them to engage in sexual acts with him and with each other—routinely recording the incidents. Carraway would threaten to call their parents and inform them of their bad behavior if they didn’t comply.

ORIGINAL Story: Teacher’s aide who molested more than 12 KIDS claims he feels like a child

During the federal trial, defense attorney John Chamble’s argued that his client has a child’s mind but a man’s body, noting his 60 IQ.  Chamble also revealed that Carraway was molested as a child and argued that he was perpetuating the same exploitative cycle he was subjected to.

“He’s done some monstrous things, but he is not a monster,” Chamble said at the time.

Carraway said in August that he didn’t know what he was doing was wrong but that he would sometimes feel guilty.

The former teacher’s aide said, “I’m not the monster that people are portraying me to be.”

Carraway addressed the court, apologizing to the victim’s parents and saying that he now regrets what he did.

“It was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done it, and I know that it hurt,” Carraway said Thursday. “I wish I could go back and stop myself from doing it, but that’s not how life works.”

[Featured Image: Prince George’s County Police Department]