A former girls soccer coach from Duxbury is headed to prison on a Massachusetts rape charge after being convicted of raping one of his 15-year-old players, the Patriot Ledger reported.
Jose Arana was sentenced to 8 to 10 years for rape of a child with force, followed by 2.5 years of probation for two counts of indecent assault and battery of a child over the age of 14. Under Massachusetts Law (Ch. 265 Sec. 22A) rape of a child by force is punishable by up to life in prison. In this case, prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 10 to 12 years.
Sex crimes always require an experienced Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer, not only because of the complexity of such cases, but because post-conviction reporting requirements can often get a defendant back in trouble with the law long after a sentence has been served. In this case, the defendant will be required to wear a GPS tracking device, must complete a sex offender treatment program, and can have no contact with the victim or a child under 16.
This case was also complicated by a previous trial in which the defendant was convicted. That conviction was overturned because the judge permitted too much second-hand testimony.
The former coach at Notre Dame Academy in Hingham was initially charged with sexually assaulting two sisters who were at his home for a sleepover with his daughter in 2004. The older sister had played on the soccer team he had coached and was 15 at the time. The trial lasted for a week and the jury issued its verdict after about six hours of deliberation.
He had been previously convicted but was out of jail since last year, when the Supreme Judicial Court threw out his 2007 conviction, citing too much second-hand testimony. He will get credit for time served on his previous 11 to 17 year prison sentence.
He had initially faced more than a dozen charges. But the prosecutor dropped some of the charges during the first trial, the judge dismissed others and the jury found him not guilty of some of the charges.
Massachusetts Criminal Defense Attorney Michael DelSignore represents clients facing serious misdemeanor and felony charges in Hingham and the surrounding areas, including Hanover, Hull, Norwell and Rockland.
The Law Offices of Michael DelSignore are conveniently located in Stoughton, Attleboro. Framingham and Westborough. Call (508) 455-4755 for a free consultation, 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays.
