Foster Parent Accused of Raping Foster Child

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Police arrested a 37-year-old South Bend man accused of raping his teenage foster child. According to charging documents, Gilbert Catano Jr. gave the girl alcohol, molested and raped her while several other family members were in the home.

Charging documents allege the rape happened on New Year’s Day of 2021. Catano is accused of giving the victim and several other children alcohol throughout the night. The victim says he molested her while other people were around. Several family members had to tell him to get away from her during the evening, according to the charging documents.

Court documents also show Catano continued to molest the child after she went to sleep. Even while the child was sleeping next to her sibling, Catano is accused of waking the girl up by taking off her pants and taking pictures of her genitals.

Later in the morning, charging documents allege Catano followed the girl into the bathroom where he forced her to have oral sex before raping her. At one point, he covered her mouth so nobody could hear her scream. He eventually stopped when another juvenile family member attempted to get into the bathroom.

Catano denied the allegations and denied ever having sexual relations with the child. However, DNA results from a rape kit found sperm fragments containing Catano’s DNA.

Catano is being charged with 3 felonies; Rape, Child Seduction and Sexual Battery. He is currently being held at the St. Joseph County Jail.

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