Corey Michael Costa, 25, Minot, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with 10 years suspended, for drugging and raping a 14-year-old girl in December 2012. He will be on supervised probation for 10 years following his release from prison. He was ordered to complete sex offender treatment and will be required to register as a sex offender. He is also ordered to have no contact with his victim.

Costa was found guilty of gross sexual imposition, a Class AA felony, following a jury trial in April.

According to an affidavit filed with the court by Lt. Jason Sundbakken, the victim’s mother brought her to the police station to report the rape on Dec. 13, 2012. The girl, who was 14 years old at the time, told Sundbakken that she had “friended” Costa on Facebook while she was living in Canada. The girl began communicating with Costa, who was then 22, after she moved to Minot from Canada.

On Dec. 11, 2012, Costa picked the girl up from her home in Minot. The two went shopping downtown for a few hours and then went back to Costa’s southeast Minot apartment. Costa and the girl watched a movie. Costa tried to cuddle with the girl, hug her and kiss her. The girl told police she felt awkward and went to the bathroom. A short time later, Costa came into the bathroom. The girl was sitting on the side of the bathtub. The girl said Costa then used a spoon to crush a blue-colored pill, put the crushed pill into a syringe with water, and injected the substance into his arm. The girl said that Costa then put the remaining portion of the pill onto a piece of tin foil and used a lighter and a pipe to smoke it. The girl told police that Costa then blew the smoke directly into her mouth. The girl said she felt like a “zombie” after a short period of time. The girl told Sundbakken that Costa then took her into his bedroom, laid her down on the bed, removed her clothing and had sex with her. She said she did not struggle or say “no” because of the effects of the drug. The girl said Costa did not use a condom. The girl said at some point she got dressed and went to the couch in the living room, where she pretended to sleep from 8 a.m. to noon. She said Costa drove her back home around 1 p.m. that day.

According to the affidavit, Sundbakken spoke with Costa, who said he picked up the girl but was only with her for about 20 minutes. Costa denied having sex with the girl and said she was never at his residence. Costa refused to give a formal statement to police. According to the affidavit, Sundbakken lost track of Costa for several months. Sundbakken later received a phone call from the girl’s mother on Sept. 27, 2013. The mother told Sundbakken that she saw Costa’s car parked outside Costa’s parents’ home in northwest Minot. Sundbakken then obtained a search warrant for Costa’s DNA. The North Dakota State Lab found a match between Costa’s DNA profile and genetic material found in the girl’s underwear, which had been sent to the state lab for testing.

A criminal complaint was not filed with the court until May 15, 2014. Costa’s lawyer, Andrew Schultz, said Tuesday there were inconsistencies in testimony at trial. Schultz said there were no indications of physical violence; he said the girl’s medical records show that there no signs of bruising, tearing, or blood following the assault and no significant physical injuries. Costa was found guilty only of having sex with a girl under the age of 15.

During the sentencing hearing on Tuesday before North Central District Court Judge Gary Lee, Costa’s parents, fiancee, friends, former employer and pastor were called as character witnesses. Friends said Costa can be counted on to be there for them. His friend, Dylan Braasch, and his mother Jean Costa, also both testified that Costa has denied raping the girl. Costa’s mother said she believes her son. When he was charged last year with dealing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school in 2012 in Fargo, Corey Costa admitted that crime and was willing to accept the punishment for it, said his mother. Costa pleaded guilty to the Class AA felony and received a deferred sentence and two years of supervised probation. However, he denied raping the girl. Friends and family members testified that Costa has been open and honest about his past heroin addiction and acknowledged that he was dealing drugs in Fargo. Costa said Tuesday in court that he has been clean and sober for about three years.

Schultz suggested a sentence of six years in prison, with one year suspended and three years of supervised probation. Deputy state’s attorney Kelly Dillon recommended 20 years with 10 suspended and 10 years of supervised probation. She said the sentence was similar to those in cases with similar circumstances. Lee chose to follow the state’s sentencing recommendation. Lee noted that the girl, who is now 17, has trouble trusting men and other people. She is also disillusioned with the justice system because it took so long for the case to be brought to trial. The girl will be affected by the assault to some degree for the rest of her life, said Lee. Lee said he would consider ordering Costa to pay for the girl’s medical bills and counseling.