NJ man sentenced to 12 years in state prison for regularly raping a teen relative when she was 12 and 13 years old.
By Mary K. Miraglia
HACKENSACK, N.J. (Feb. 3, 2017) — A Fort Lee man sobbed and begged for forgiveness from his victims Friday while a Superior Court judge questioned his remorse and sentenced him to 12 years in state prison for regularly raping a teen relative when she was 12 and 13 years old.
In levying the sentence which upholds a plea agreement taken to keep the victim from the ordeal of a trial, Judge Christopher Kazlau told defendant Leosandro Dilag, 40. “Your emotion in court I find more attributable to shame than actual remorse.” Kazlau said he had struggled over the sentence because Dilag’s crimes “deserved more punishment.”
“I have great concern about this plea agreement,” Kazlau said. “I gave it great thought. However, I am upholding it. The decision for me here today is difficult. My concern is whether I can justify approving the plea given the harm you perpetrated on your victim.”
“I would give you more time if I could — but I am duty-bound. I will abide by this negotiated plea agreement.”
Kazlau’s remarks followed grueling testimony from Dilag’s victim, who spoke of being raised by paternal grandparents in the Philippines and her hope in coming to America. But those hopes were dashed after he raped her in a hotel room while they were watching the Olympics together. After that, he raped her regularly in every room of their house and beat her whenever he took offense at something she said or did.
“What a selfish man you are,” she said. “Not only did you hurt me, but you hurt our family. I feel so sorry for my mother. She loved you. May god forgive you and look out for you.”
Defense attorney Ron Bar-Nadav of Hackensack said his client accepts the sentence. “What Mr. Dilag has been accused of is inexcusable. It’s terrible. There is nothing he can do to compensate his family for the harm he has caused. He’s agreeing to everything his family is asking for to try and help in whatever way he can.
“He is unable to control himself, and that was clearly delineated in the Avenel report. He chooses to do his time in Avenel.”
Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Deepa Jacobs described the sex abuse in graphic detail, telling those present how the man treated the girl as an adult sex partner and repeatedly raped her in every conceivable way in the different rooms of the house on a regular basis. The prosecutor described how the man stole the girl’s virginity just after she finished sixth grade.
“He admitted he couldn’t control himself,” Jacobs said, “And that at the age of 12 he found her sexually attractive.” She said the case is “one of the worst of this type I have ever seen,” and noted that Dilag beat the girl “no less than 20 times.”
She said she spoke to the girl and her younger bother about the proposed sentence, and “I was expecting some sadness. But they both used the word “freedom.” My goodness. That tells your honor so much.”
Bar-Nadav asked the judge to consider Dilag’s remorse toward his family and his willingness to get help.
“Mr. Dilag, there is no penalty, no price that you will have to pay that comes close to the pain you have inflicted on your family,” Kazlau said. Referring to the defendant’s own history of being sexually abused by his father and uncle, he said, “Maybe there is an explanation. But there are many people that go through the same thing who don’t go on to perpetrate the same kind of harm to other people. The best way you could have dealt with your past was to give your family the love, care and protection you didn’t get.
“You are repetitive and compulsive. You face the possibility of indefinite commitment as a violent sexual predator — but at some point you will be released, and it is my job to see this never happens to anyone else. The first step is to shine light on it, and that’s what’s happened here. Everyone knows now, Mr. Dilag — everyone knows.
“Avail yourself of any therapy.”
Dilag will serve 10 years, two months and 13 days on each of the three counts before parole, which will be at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center at Avenel, the state treatment center for sex offenders. He will be on supervised parole for five years after he is released from prison. However, as a repetitive and compulsive sex offender, his sentence can be lengthened indefinitely if by the end of his term he is still a danger to offend.
He was assessed fines of $9,075. He has 439 days of jail credit and a Nicole’s Law restraining order prohibiting him from contact with his teen victim for life. He will have to report his address to law enforcement under Megan’s Law and will have parole supervision for life.
