A former Napa County school employee charged for sexually abusing five children is likely to live the remainder of his life in state prison.

Benjamin Casas, 34, who used to work for Pope Valley Elementary School, was sentenced Monday by Napa Superior Court Judge Francisca Tischer to 18 terms of 25 years to life. Eight of those terms will be served one after the other, and the remainder will be served concurrently.

Prosecutors had requested the sentence in a court filing Friday.

Casas was convicted Feb. 8 on four counts of oral copulation on a minor and 18 counts of committing lewd or lascivious acts following a two-week trial.

23 counts

Casas was arrested Oct. 1, 2022, in Pope Valley. The Napa County District Attorney’s Office charged him with 23 counts of sexually abusing two boys and three girls; one count was dismissed midtrial.

The DA’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the sentencing. Andy Rubinger, Casas’ defense attorney, said the sentencing went as he expected. He filed a notice of appeal for the court decision Monday.

The charges against Casas were connected to two boys and three girls who all were under the age of 14 when the abuse took place. Now adults, they all testified in the trial.

The abuse occurred over a decade while Casas worked at the Pope Valley Elementary School.

Among other charges, prosecutors said that Casas had engaged in a sexual relationship with a fifth grader that he sexually assaulted on campus multiple times.

Casas, who testified on his own behalf, admitted to several lesser allegations but denied that he had engaged in sexual activities with minors.

Rubinger noted that, with the sentence, he doesn’t believe Casas will ever be released on parole, though that would be up to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

“He was given a pretty lengthy sentence, so I don’t see him being released ever,” Rubinger said.