During a sentencing hearing, Broward County prosecutors played explicit videos of the 2022 crime, which the mother of the rape victim witnessed in the courtroom on Friday.
For a brief period, the collection of videos showcased the brutal actions of a 14-year-old boy. A teenager captured evidence of a woman’s sexual abuse while facing a threat. The judge discovered that Terry Berger-Smith went so far as to make a Facetime call to a friend in order to broadcast her distress.
The mother of the victim, her voice filled with emotion, had already expressed the heartbreaking impact that the heinous act had on her daughter’s life. Terry and his parents pleaded with the judge for leniency.
“I ask for the victim’s forgiveness every day,” Terry stated as he read a prepared statement before the judge handed down a sentence of over 41 years in prison.
According to court records, Terry’s date of birth is recorded as Aug. 1, 2007. He had a record of criminal activity from a young age. As per Broward prosecutors, Terry, at the age of 12, allegedly committed a heinous act of attempting to assault a woman with a knife in New York. It is reported that he also forcefully removed one of her teeth and kept it as a memento.
Following his departure from a juvenile facility in New York, Terry relocated to Broward County. A woman has alleged that he forcefully grabbed her by the neck in what she described as a choke hold during an unexpected incident with the intention of assaulting her on May 27, 2022, in Hollywood.
The woman claimed she successfully defended herself and quickly retreated to the safety of her apartment. Unfortunately, another incident of sexual assault occurred in the vicinity two weeks later. It was located near the Hollywood Police Department’s station at Hollywood Boulevard and South Park Road.
According to detectives, Terry was wearing a mask when he surprised a woman who was on her way to work in the early morning of June 10, 2022, along South Park Road. Prosecutors revealed that Terry had been closely observing her, expressing his desire to include her in his collection, and disclosing that he was equipped with both a knife and a gun.
The victim has come forward to report Terry made a disturbing statement, threatening to infect her with a serious illness and cause an unwanted pregnancy. According to her account, he inquired about her living situation, and upon learning that she resided alone, he demanded that she bring him to her residence. After discovering her deceit, Terry’s boyfriend swiftly made his escape.
Terry was apprehended on June 13, 2022, at the EnV apartments located nearby his residence. According to records, Broward County Circuit Judge Michael Lynch approved the pickup order. According to detectives, Terry confessed to regularly viewing explicit content during a recorded interrogation.
Terry’s court appearance took place on June 14, 2022. At the age of 15, he found himself in juvenile detention until prosecutors decided to file the capital life case in adult court on Aug. 11, 2022. Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor issued a statement on August 12, 2022.
The sentencing hearing took place on Friday, a few weeks after Terry celebrated their 17th birthday. The judge handed down a sentence of 495 months, which amounts to approximately 41.25 years in state prison. The judge emphasized that this was the minimum sentence allowed under the adult sentencing guidelines.
If Berger-Smith is released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender. Holden is advocating for him to be placed on probation for the rest of his life.