Court records: Alleged rapist lectured victim about drinking
| Friday, Aug 14 2009 07:00 PM
Last Updated Friday, Aug 14 2009 07:00 PM
A 43-year-old Bakersfield man charged with raping an intoxicated 14-year-old girl told her that he was trying to teach her a lesson, court reports say.
The defendant, Richard James Berkowitz, is accused of picking up the girl July 20 as she slept on Gosford Road near White Lane. The girl apparently passed out on the side of the road while walking home from party where she drank alcohol, a search warrant says.
After sexually assaulting the girl at his home, Berkowitz took her to Stockdale High School to release her. On the way he told her he was trying to "help" her, an affidavit says.
He said "this would be a good lesson" for the girl not to get drunk and he wanted this to be "a wake-up call," the affidavit said.
The girl admitted to police that she went to a midnight party with other juveniles where they drank beer and wine. She didn't disclose where or with whom she drank.
She woke up at 6 o'clock the next morning, walked to the Shell Service Station to get matches for cigarettes, and then decided to rest on a patch of grass.
She said a man she initially believed was her father woke her up and put her in a vehicle that was similar to her father's vehicle.
She said the man sexually assaulted her and then made her wash the evidence off.
Police found Berkowitz's home based on the description the girl gave. She said Berkowitz mentioned his wife's name and she saw a picture of a young son the couple have. That also was verified, the affidavit said.
Police seized pornographic magazines, videos, sex toys (the girl said he used one on her) and Xanax, a tranquilizer drug the girl said he offered to her to calm her down, the affidavit says.
Berkowitz remains in jail on $500,000 bail.
