CLEVELAND -- Cassondra Goodson, who sexually abused vulnerable girls entrusted to her care at a residential treatment center, has been sentenced to 44 years in prison, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty announced today.
On June 19, Goodson, 34, of Shaker Heights, entered a plea of guilty to six counts of sexual battery, five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and one misdemeanor count of Interference with custody.
Those charges involved two separate indictments and two victims.
The victims were 13 and 15 years old, respectively, when they began their sexual encounters with Goodson, who was a strength coach and mentor at the Parmadale Institute.
At the time of the crimes, Parmadale was a residential treatment center for troubled juveniles operated by Catholic Charities.
At Monday's sentencing hearing, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Astrab called Goodson a predator and sentenced her to four years in prison for each of the 11 felonies to which she had entered a plea of guilty.
Then he ordered that that the sentences run consecutively.
In a sentencing memo filed with the court, Assistant County Prosecutor Anna Faraglia had argued that the defendant "sought out her vulnerable victims and molested them over several years… Such a misplacement of trust is appalling."
