A jury convicted Benjamin Caal of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of lewd act with a minor and kidnapping enhancement
San Francisco, CA – Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that her office secured a rape conviction of Benjamin Caal after trial by jury. In 2016, Caal lured a 13-year-old girl to his apartment where he molested and raped her. He was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of lewd act with a minor by force. The jury also found true two kidnapping allegation. The victim lived in the same apartment complex as Caal in the Mission District. He was arrested on September 5, 2016, following an investigation into the May 2016 incident. The jury reached a guilty verdict on October 11, 2022.
“This verdict delivers justice to the victim and her family and holds Benjamin Caal accountable for his despicable crimes,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “There is no place for horrific acts of violence like the ones perpetrated by Caal against children or anyone in our community. We will always stand for victims of sexual assault and violence and seek justice.”
The case against Caal was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brad Allred with assistance from paralegal Andrew Ong. Investigators from the San Francisco Police Department’s Special Victims Unit led the investigation and worked closely with the prosecutors over many years to develop the case against Caal. Victim Advocate Cindy Pelayo with the District Attorney’s Office Victim Services Division directly engaged with the victim and her family.
“I want to thank the members of the jury for their time and the attention paid to the evidence presented throughout this trial,” said Assistant District Attorney Brad Allred. “While this verdict cannot change what happened, I hope that it will bring some level of peace and comfort to our brave survivor and her family.”
Caal has been in custody since his arrest. He will be sentenced at a future date not yet set.
Court Number: 16016237