CLEVELAND (AP) — A Cleveland man accused of holding three women captive in his home for about a decade has agreed to plead guilty in a deal to avoid the death penalty.
Ariel Castro is entering the plea Friday. In exchange, prosecutors said the 53-year-old Castro would be sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years.
Castro is in court to enter the plea. He has been far more interactive than in previous court appearances when he mostly kept his head down and eyes closed.
Castro says a pornography addiction and "sexual problem" have taken a toll on his mind. He also says he was sexually abused as a child.
The women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004. They escaped from Castro's house May 6.
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