ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — A 44-year-old man, who claimed he was gay and "too fat" to repeatedly sexually assault his stepdaughter, was sentenced to 80 years in prison after a Colorado jury convicted him on multiple counts. In addition, the mother of the victim was convicted and sentenced for her role.
Brandon Robert Berg, 44, was sentenced to 80 years to life in prison. In addition, his wife, Rebecca Berg, 52, was sentenced to four years in prison, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office. She is the victim's biological mother.
The investigation into this case began in 2020, when Berg's 19-year-old stepdaughter called the Aurora Police Department to report that she had been assaulted multiple times, beginning when she was 15 years old. She said she had most recently been assaulted the day prior. The young woman told police she "had sexual encounters with Berg" so he would not beat or hurt her, the district attorney's office said.
After the call, police collected her clothing that she had been wearing during the previous day's assault, and sent it to a lab for testing. Investigators found a DNA sample from Brandon Berg and compared it to the samples taken from the victim's underwear and body. The samples matched.
When detectives talked with the victim in person, they noted a four-inch scar across her back. The stepdaughter said Brandon Berg had scratched her with a fork. Detectives also saw a "significant" scar on the back of her right shoulder, the district attorney's office said. The victim said Brandon Berg had branded her with a knife he heated on the stove top, and that the branding had the initials "RB." She said she believed this stood for the defendant's first name and the first name of his wife, Rebecca. The victim reported that her mother also abused her on occasion, the district attorney's office said.
Investigators brought Brandon Berg in for questioning.
During that interview, "Berg said that he was unable to have sexual intercourse due to the size of his belly fat and small size of his genitalia," the district attorney's office said. "He also claimed he had an alternate sexual orientation which made him disinterested in the conduct alleged. Berg stood by all of these claims at trial when he chose to testify."
Both Brandon and Rebecca Berg were tried together at their request.
“The victim in this case showed immense courage and bravery by speaking up,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Jacob Kremin. “She played an instrumental role in preserving evidence. The defendants worked together to present an array of ridiculous excuses, but DNA left no doubt in the jury’s mind regarding the defendant’s guilt.”
A jury convicted Brandon Berg on three counts of sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust, three counts of aggravated incest and second-degree assault. The same jury also convicted Rebecca Berg of two counts of aggravated incest.
District Court Judge Jacob Edson sentenced Brandon Berg to 80 years to life in the Department of Corrections. Rebecca Berg was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by 20 years to life of Sex Offender Intensive Supervision.
“These defendants robbed a young girl of her teenage years — sexually, physically and emotionally abusing her,” said Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley. “It’s appalling that a mother and stepfather would repeatedly abuse someone they were supposed to love and support. While no length of time in prison will undo the trauma the victim of these horrible crimes endured, we hope these sentences will offer her some measure of healing.”
The National Sexual Assault hotline is 1-800-656-4673. It is open 24 hours a day. You can also visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) website to chat online or find resources.
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