Ariel Castro in his own words

Ariel Castro, who pleaded guilty to the abduction, rape and torture of three women in Cleveland that he kept inhis house for more than a decade,was sentenced Thursday toalife term with no chance of parole, plus 1,000 years.

Before the judge handed downthe sentence, Castro addressed the court. Here are some selected quotes from him:

• "These people are trying to paint me as a monster. I'm not a monster. I'm sick. I think my sexual problem is so bad on my mind that I'm impulsive ..."
• "I believeI am addicted to pornto the point that it really makes me impulsive and I just don't realize thatwhat I'm doing is wrong."
• "I'm not trying to make excuses here because Iknow when I told David that [on] the sex crimesI will be put away forever. I'm not contesting that."
• "I have been a musician for a long time, maybe 25, 30 years ... and to be a monster like they are trying to sayI am,I don't think that I can handle that. I'm a happy person inside."

On abducting Michelle Knight, hisfirst victim:

• "WhenI picked up the first victim, I ... didn't even plan it that day...."
• "ButI know it's wrong and I know I'm not trying to make excuses here.I know that I'm 100 per centwrong for doing that but I'm just saying that they're trying to say I'm a violent person and I'm not a violent person. LikeI said, I drove a school bus, I was a musician and I had a family. I do have value for human life because every time I came homeI would be so glad forthe situation, as crazy as it may sound."

On his daughter, who was born to Amanda Berry, his second victim:

• "She never saw anything violent going on in that house, your honour.And if you question her she'll say the opposite and she'll probably say my dad is the best dad in the world, because that is how I tried to raise her in those six years."
• "These accusations that I would come home and beat them, those are totally wrong, your honour, because likeI said beforeI am not a violent person. I know whatI did was wrong but I'm not a violent person.I simply kept them there without them being able to leave ..."
• "Most of the sex that went on in the house, practically all of it, was consensual."