Andrew Castro, former CPS Teacher, gets prison time for grooming and sexual assault of students

A former Chicago Public Schools gym teacher has been sentenced to prison for grooming and sexually abusing three boys under the age of 13.

Andrew Castro pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including predatory criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and child exploitation.

What we know:

Castro, who worked at Federico Lora Elementary, built inappropriate relationships with three male victims over several years, according to prosecutors. His grooming tactics included attending their sporting events, taking them to malls and movies, and inviting them into his home, where the abuse occurred.

In a related civil case, the Chicago Public Schools reached a $2 million settlement with the families last year.

What they're saying:

"While we are happy there has been another significant step toward resolution in this case, there is still a long road of recovery for the abused in this case," said Larry Disparti, founder of Disparti Law Group, which represented the victims.

Disparti also highlighted broader concerns about abuse in the school system, noting that the Chicago Public Schools Office of the Inspector General Sexual Allegations Unit (SAU) has handled over 2,000 cases since its inception. In its February 2024 report, the SAU documented a 12% rise in abuse reports.

"It is not acceptable that there is a single case of sexual abuse in our school system," Disparti said. "Our children deserve better."

What's next:

Judge Domenica Stephenson handed down Castro's sentence: 10 years for predatory sexual assault, seven years for each abuse case, and one year for exploitation.

While the abuse and exploitation charges will be served concurrently, the total sentence is 17 years.

The Source: The information in this article was provided the Disparti Law Group and obtained from previous FOX 32 reports on this story.

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