Kastein has been convicted in earlier cases in Ohio and Pennsylvania involving accusations he entered women’s homes to watch them. But in those cases he was convicted on charges of burglary or other non-sexually oriented charges, and so is not required to register his residence with authorities.
Neighbors learned of his situation after WHIO-TV reported the recent Rave Cinemas charges.
“We’ve got our eye on him and hopefully he knows this is not the place for him to be doing what he does,” Moorefield Twp. homeowner Chris White said. “He should be on a list everywhere he goes and he should have to register.”
Kastein pleaded guilty in 1999 in Pennsylvania when he was 19. In that case he had been found twice in homes where teenage girls lived, and in one he was hiding underneath one of their beds, according to Mt. Lebanon Police Department Deputy Chief Aaron Lauth.
Kastein pleaded guilty to burglary in that case and a judge sentenced him to two years probation and counseling.
A year later in June 2000, Lauth said Kastein again was found in the home of a 20-year-old woman.
Kastein reportedly told the victims that someone was chasing him and that’s why he was in their homes, Lauth said.
Kastein pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing in October of that year and served more than 11 months in prison.
The final encounter Mt. Lebanon Police had with Kastein came in 2002 when a neighbor found Kastein in her home, Lauth said, and she recognized him and called police.
He pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing and a judge sentenced him to up to five years in prison.
Lauth said his department filed burglary and criminal trespassing charges based off the prosecutor’s recommendation.
“We could never charge him with voyeurism because he was always clothed and never saw any signs of him starting to undress,” he said.
After his release in February 2007, Kastein moved to Marysville, Ohio.
In August of that year, Marysville police reports say Kastein was found hiding in the garage of woman’s home there.
He told Marysville police that he had no intentions of committing a sex act with the woman or stealing anything, but that he struggled with voyeuristic behavior, according to the records.
Kastein told police he sought help for his actions at a Sexual Addicts Anonymous group, according to the police reports, but also said he could not control his urges.
A judge sentenced Kastein to serve up to four years in an Ohio prison.
He was released from prison in 2011 and completed his post release control this July.
The most recent accusations against Kastein come just two months after finishing his parole.
Clark County Sheriff Gene Kelly said sex offenders may only cease their behavior after a complete modification in their thinking.
“It is a behavior that will escalate and in most cases it continues throughout the course of a lifetime,” Kelly said.
Kastein isn’t a registered sex offender, so neighbors found out the recent accusations after seeing WHIO TV reports. They then researched his background online and have held an informational meeting about their concerns.
“I used to sleep with my windows open,” Moorefield Twp. resident Sarah Severt said. “I never, ever worried about living here because there’s never been any trouble in this neighborhood, but all of a sudden now I’m closing my window curtains. I’m shutting the windows. I’m locking them. I’m locking the basement door. I’m doing all that I can.”
Severt said she feels sorry for Kastein.
“I have sympathy for him and I just think law enforcement let him down,” she said.
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