N.Y. man gets 50 years for raping girlfriend, tying her to a chair, and keeping her in closet

BUFFALO, N.Y. (TCD) -- A 31-year-old man was sentenced to 50 years in prison last week for raping his girlfriend and keeping her against her will in a closet for several days.

In a statement, the Erie County District Attorney's Office said Judge Sheila A. DiTullio handed Bryam Bassett the maximum sentence plus 25 years of post-release supervision. Bassett was convicted May 5 of two counts of rape, one count of first-degree unlawful imprisonment, and one count of second-degree unlawful imprisonment.

According to the District Attorney's Office, on May 7, 2019, Buffalo Police received to a call from a woman's employer asking them to conduct a welfare check because she had not been to work in two days. Officers went to an apartment in the city's Riverside area and reportedly found Bassett inside, as well as the victim inside a bedroom. She was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment because she reportedly suffered "serious physical injuries," including a fractured vertebra. The Buffalo News reports that injury occurred from him stomping on her.

Investigators reportedly determined Bassett held his girlfriend, who remained unnamed, against her will in the apartment from May 5 to May 7, 2019. A similar incident reportedly happened weeks prior between April 19 and April 21, 2019.

The District Attorney's Office says Bassett raped the victim and took her cellphone away so she could not telephone anyone for help. During the April assaults, he reportedly "physically held the victim against her will by binding her to a chair and leaving her alone inside of a closet."

According to the Buffalo News, the District Attorney argued in the trial Bassett "beat her into submission." When officers found the victim, her eyes were reportedly swollen shut.

Buffalo Police Detective Mark Costantino reportedly said the woman's injuries were "some of the worst I've seen in my career."

District Attorney John Flynn said in his statement, "This is one of the most horrific cases of intimate partner violence that has been prosecuted by my office. This defendant was found guilty for his crimes that involved physical imprisonment and sexual violence. I hope that this defendant serving maximum period of incarceration provides the victim with justice and allows her to continue to heal."

MORE: