Austrian 'Horror Dad' Says He Expects Life in Prison

VIENNA, Austria – Josef Fritzl's lawyer says the man accused of imprisoning his daughter for 24 years and fathering her seven children expects to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Rudolf Mayer told the Austria Press Agency in an interview that 73-year-old Fritzl — who goes on trial March 16 — has no expectations of being freed.

But Mayer insisted Friday that Fritzl is "no sex monster," and says the suspect loved his daughter "in his own way."

Fritzl faces up to life imprisonment if convicted on charges of murder, rape, incest, false imprisonment and enslavement.

Investigators say he confessed to imprisoning and raping his daughter — now in her 40s — in a soundproofed, windowless dungeon he built beneath their home.