Esteban Parra of The News Journal reports: A
32-year-old heavy metal musician on Friday (November
16) admitted to abducting a University of Delaware
student in 2003, shackling her arms and legs then
hogtying her at his Maryland home until she began
crying.

Ernie Carletti (mug shot, promotional photo), however,
testified he did not have a gun and he did not rape
the woman.

"Maybe I wasn't thinking clearly," Carletti said about
pulling the woman into his car May 22, 2003, then
shackling her arms and legs and duct taping her eyes
shut. "It was just part of the effect. I didn't say
she wanted it, but she did not deny it."

Carletti, who is charged with rape, kidnapping and
possession of a deadly weapon during a felony,
testified in Superior Court in Wilmington, Delaware.
He was calm throughout his 30-minute testimony.

Carletti — who joined ICED EARTH in June 2006 and
didn't appear on any of the band's recordings or
perform with the group before his September 2006
arrest — said he was driving to his Elkton, Md., home
through Newark about 1:30 a.m. when he saw the woman
at the South Chapel Street Burger King. Carletti
testified the two started talking. When she approached
the driver side of his car, Carletti said he pulled
her into the vehicle.

The victim has testified that he had a gun, which he
denied in court today.

As he drove off, he asked the woman: "Mind if I
handcuff you?"

"I'm not saying it was courtship, but it is something
we discussed," he said.

After handcuffing her, Carletti said he shackled her
legs and put duct tape over her eyes and drove to his
home.

When asked why he would blindfold her, Carletti said
it was done for "effect."

Carletti said he then escorted the woman into his
house and sat her on a couch, where there was a
"little bit of talking, a little bit of caressing, a
little bit of kissing."

Prosecutor Donald R. Roberts asked if she kissed him
back, to which Carletti said he only kissed her on the
cheek.

After admiring her in that position, Carletti said he
gagged her mouth, placed her on a table and hogtied
her. But he said he did not hoist her off the ground
as she has testified.

He said he released her from this position after 3 to
4 minutes because she signified she was uncomfortable.


When asked if he thought being hogtied was painful,
Carletti said he has previously been in that position
and disagreed it hurt.

"No. Actually it is not painful," he said.



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