Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark announced last month a 20-year state prison sentence — on top of federal sentencing — for Silfredo Castillo Martinez, 34, who had previously pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault and child pornography involving a child at the day care he owned.
“The defendant owned a daycare center and turned it into a house of horror for at least one little boy. He also possessed thousands of images of child pornography, some involving a victim less than a year old,” said Clark in a statement announcing the sentencing. “He will now spend 20 years in prison for such monstrous behavior.”
Castillo Martinez owned Lila’s Garden Daycare at 3525 Decatur Ave. in the Williamsbridge neighborhood and had an apartment adjacent to the daycare. In May 2022, a search of the day care and his residence yielded photos and videos depicting sexual abuse against boys between the ages of 7 and 12 and one infant under one year old.
Investigators also found a photo and video taken inside the day care of a boy who attended the program, estimated to be 10 years old. Investigators found that the defendant sexually abused the boy multiple times and forced the boy to perform sex acts on him.
Castillo Martinez pleaded guilty in the Bronx Supreme Court in May to one count each of first-degree Criminal Sexual Act, Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance, Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child and Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child. For these charges, he was sentenced Aug. 13 to a total of 27 to 35 years in prison.
Castillo Martinez also pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and was sentenced in June to 25 years in prison. The state and federal sentences will run concurrently, and he will be subjected to post-release supervision and sex offender registration.
Local lawmakers have moved to increase day care inspections and transparency between owners and families in the wake of the 2023 death of 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici, who died after being exposed to fentanyl at a home-based day care in Kingsbridge.
State Sen. Gustavo Rivera sponsored legislation to allow full inspection of every room in homes used for day cares and require owners to inform and update families of every person living there, among other provisions. The bill unanimously passed through the Senate in June.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
