A man who posed as a ride-share driver and preyed on women in Suffolk County was sentenced to 25 years behind bars Monday.
Raul Guaman, 43, posed as a ride-share driver, drugged his victims, sexually assaulted them and recorded it on his cellphone. Sometimes he would also keep his victims' IDs and cellphones.
"This is a predator who was hunting women in Suffolk County for nearly five years," says Laura Ahearn, of the Crime Victims Center.
There was a total of 13 victims who did not want to be identified on camera at the sentencing.
Three of the victims spoke in court. One of them called him the "scraps of the Earth."
Another said she did not understand how Guaman got into her home and sexually assaulted her in her own bed. A third victim detailed how she didn't know she was raped, and when she went home to her 5-year-old, she had a gut feeling something was wrong before checking herself into the hospital.
Many of the victims did not even know what happened to them until detectives showed up to their homes with video of the encounters.
Guaman, who illegally entered the United States from El Salvador, was living in Bay Shore at the time of the crimes. He pleaded guilty to the 11-count indictment.
Judge Karen M. Wilutis told Guaman, "You are a predator, a disgusting predatory."
The judge also commended police for their investigation that led to the prison sentence.
Guaman will have to serve 20 years of supervised release following his 25-year sentence.
The Crime Victims Center says it is working with at least 20 victims, but some did not have enough evidence. The 13 that were included in the trial all have permanent orders of protection.