Former Midway man sentenced in rape case

A judge sentenced a former Midway man who was convicted on charges of sexually abusing girls to 25 to 60 years in prison Friday.
Washington County Judge Valarie Costanzo said Steve L. Czako, 46, had shown a “total lack of remorse” before she imposed the state prison term.
A jury found Czako guilty of charges including rape, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault of a victim under 13, forcible indecent assault and indecent assault of a victim under 16 following his trial in March.
Mt. Pleasant police filed the charges in August 2016, saying the abuse had occurred in a township home.
The prosecution said Czako abused the older of the two victims starting in the early 2000s when she was about 8. The abuse of the second victim spanned several years starting in 2012, when she was 11.
Czako’s conviction requires him to register as a sex offender for life.
One victim was present for the sentencing but didn’t testify in open court. Assistant District Attorney Kristin Clingerman said both victims provided impact statements for the pre-sentencing report.
“This is a defendant who shows absolutely no remorse” or compassion for the victims, Clingerman told the judge.
The decision Costanzo handed down is on the upper end of the standard sentencing guidelines.
Czako’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Jacob Mihalov, said his client’s parents had divorced and he’d gone into foster care at an early age. He also said his client had a drinking problem and may have undiagnosed mental health problems.
While Mihalov didn’t request a particular sentence, he argued those details should enter the court’s consideration as possible mitigating factors.