Boston Judge Sentences Victor Peña to 29 to 39 Years In Prison

BOSTON — A man convicted of kidnapping and then repeatedly raping a Boston woman while holding her in his Charlestown apartment in 2019 was sentenced Monday morning.

Victor Peña, 42, will spend 29 to 39 years in prison after being charged with kidnapping and ten counts of aggravated rape on Tuesday, July 26. Peña was not in court for his sentencing by Judge Anthony Campo or when the jurors returned their verdict - he instead listened in through Zoom.

The lengthy sentence comes as prosecutors said the state asked for a "murder type" sentence because what he did to the 23-year-old victim "really does murder someone."

During the trial, Peña testified on his own behalf, claiming everything that happened in the three days he kept the woman in his home was "consensual." Peña, who is Spanish speaking, testified through a translator telling the jury "not to buy the story from the victim," and that she wanted to go to his home - adding that they "had nice chemistry."

The victim told the court that Peña sexually assaulted her multiple times and threatened her if she tried to leave. "I didn't want to die," she said.

Peña told the jury the victim had asked for his help and that she'd been drinking on the night of their encounter in January. During her testimony, she told police she didn't remember even meeting him, just waking up in his apartment. Peña argued that the victim pretended to be more intoxicated than she actually was, adding that he was still just trying to help her the whole time. "I kissed her, told her I loved her, and lifted her up like an angel."

When police detectives found and entered the Charlestown apartment, they wrote that they found a terrified woman who had been shaking and crying.

Before Peña took the stand, he watched the proceedings remotely through a monitor after he suddenly appeared naked on a monitor in the courtroom and performed a lewd act earlier this month. Those potential jurors were dismissed.

Peña was found competent to stand trial following a stay at Bridgewater State Hospital.
322 photos and six explicit videos of the victim were found on Peña's phone, according to a digital forensic specialist.

Peña admitted to having sexual relations with the woman to the jury, insisting that they are "in love" and that "she liked it," and the whole incident was okay because "she wasn't a sister or cousin of mine."