Cab Driver Faces Life In Prison For Rape Of 12-Year-Old: DA

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A livery cab driver accused of brutally raping a 12-year-old passenger in the backseat of his car faces 25 years to life in prison should he be convicted, prosecutors said this week.

Rafael Martinez — who was arrested days after the Aug. 10 attack — was arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Thursday on a 28-count indictment, including charges of rape, sexual assault and 12 counts of sexual abuse, prosecutors announced.

“I was sickened to hear of this alleged brutal attack on a helpless young girl who should have been safely driven to her home," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. "I am committed to seeking justice for all victims of sexual assault, including this child, who will live with this trauma for the rest of her life."

The 32-year-old cab driver is accused climbing into the backseat of his cab twice in a span of two hours while driving her from a relative's house in Fort Greene to her home in Bed-Stuy, according to court records.

The first time Martinez stopped on Bergen Street, he took a gun out of his glove compartment, telling the young girl,"If you say anything, these bullets are for you" as he loaded bullets into the firearm, prosecutors said.

Martinez then jumped into the backseat and began punching the girl in the face as she tried to fight him off, prosecutors said. He eventually slammed the girl's head against the window, causing her to pass out, according to the court papers.

When the young girl came to, Martinez was raping her, prosecutors said. She would drift in and out of consciousness throughout the attack, according to the court papers.

Martinez pulled over and abused the girl a second time on Herkimer Street before finally bringing her to her destination, according to prosecutors and police.

Martinez's bail was set at $200,000 and he was ordered to return to court in October, according to the DA's office. He faces a sentence of up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the top count.