In June 2022, the streets of Hollywood, Florida, were shaken by a brutal crime.
The crime involved a teenage boy who attacked and repeatedly raped a woman just steps away from the police station.
The horrifying incident occurred on June 10, 2022, when 14-year-old Terry Berger-Smith ambushed a woman on South Park Road around 4 a.m.
The victim was walking to work when the teenager grabbed her.
He then pushed her into nearby bushes, and proceeded to repeatedly raped her.
Berger-Smith even live-streamed parts of the crime to a friend.
He allegedly told the victim he had AIDS to further intimidate and terrorize her.
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| Terry Berger-Smith |
The police arrested Berger-Smith just days later after a coordinated effort involving multiple tips from the public and surveillance footage.
The arrest was carried out by Hollywood police officers and SWAT teams.
Although Berger-Smith's arrest brought some relief, many were left wondering how someone so young could commit such a violent act.
As a result of the seriousness of the case, Terry Berger-Smith was charged as an adult.
He was charged with four counts of sexual battery and one count of kidnapping.
Prosecutors argued that Terry Berger-Smith had a history of violence.
They stated that he had attempted a rape at knifepoint in New York when he was only 12 years old.
They insisted it was necessary to try him in adult court.
Berger-Smith had already served time in a juvenile facility for his previous crime.
He had reportedly taken a tooth from his victim as a trophy.
Berger-Smith’s defense lawyer, Jim Lewis, argued that the teenager should be tried as a juvenile.
He maintained his client’s innocence, arguing that the system had failed him.
However, the prosecution, led by Eric Linder, insisted that his history of violent behavior and the brutality of the current crime justified adult charges.
During the trial, the victim’s mother gave a heart-wrenching testimony.
She highlighted the lasting trauma her daughter had endured in her final moments.
She pleaded with the court to impose a harsh sentence.
She argued that despite Berger-Smith's age, his actions had caused irreparable harm to the victim’s life.
The judge agreed with the victim’s family and Terry Berger-Smith was sentenced to 41 years in prison.
This was the minimum sentence under the guidelines for the charges he faced.
Despite Terry Berger-Smith's apology and his request for a second chance, the judge remained largely unmoved.
He ruled that the severity of the crime outweighed any mitigating factors related to his age.
The judge noted that Berger-Smith’s actions demonstrated a level of cruelty and disregard for human life that could not be ignored.
The verdict relieved the victim’s family, feeling that justice had been served.
In another case, a woman is accused of murder after fatally shooting someone who was throwing rocks at her.
Click here for more details on that case
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