Bond has been set at $100,000 each for three of five teens accused of taking part in the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl, which the attackers allegedly videotaped with cell phones.
"She relayed the statement that she was battered by everybody," said Det. Brian Roussell, who testified Friday in a pretrial hearing for one of one of the defendants, 17-year-old Dwight Henry.
Broward Circuit Judge Lisa Porter set his bond at $100,000, a day after she set bond for the same amount for defendants Erica Avery, 16, and Patricia Montes, 15.
The three are all charged as adults with armed sexual battery and kidnapping. Henry has pleaded not guilty. Avery and Montes have not entered pleas.
If they post bond, they will be on house arrest with a monitor, under strict orders to stay away from the victim and are prohibited from using the Internet.
Prosecutors say Avery, Henry, Montes and two others invited the victim on Nov. 1 to a Hollywood house, where they allegedly pinned her down and began punching and kicking her. Authorities say the group refused to stop until the girl agreed to have sex with a 19-year-old man.
Authorities say the victim refused but was eventually raped anyway.
Behind closed doors Friday, a DVD was played for the judge, attorneys and Henry. The video, originally captured on a cell phone, was introduced into evidence under seal. It captures a violent beating police said took place inside the Hollywood home.
“The entire battery is not shown on tape,” Roussell said.
Henry's attorney argued his client is not seen grabbing or beating the victim in the video.
However, the judge pointed out the victim’s statement that Henry held her down while she was raped by the 19-year-old man. The judge was reading from a transcript of an audio interview with the victim while she was recovering in the hospital.
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A pretrial hearing Thursday was the first time Avery and Montes had been seen together since they were charged.
"As helpless and innocent as they look sitting here, I don't know what's inside these young girls, but it’s sick, it’s dangerous," said prosecutor Maria Schneider.
In court, Schneider described one of the video clips.
"You saw the victim sitting on a toilet crying, blown up in terms of blood that was spilling, the injuries that she had, and they still beat her, beat her,” she said.
Porter also saw the DVD and described it as depraved.
"The number of people who are sort of surrounding this alleged victim where she has no means of escape. For whatever reason they chose to videotape this, it's sick," the judge said.
Avery's attorney Michael D. Weinstein talked about the bond.
"Hopefully we can get it $10,000, which is the premium that they have to pay to the bondsman. The conditions are very tough. You have to stay at home, level one house arrest, no Internet, which essentially means no school and they're only 16 years old," Weinstein said.
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