By James Tinley
Register Staff
The father of an area boy who was molested for more than two years at the hands of a trusted baby sitter offered no forgiveness to his son’s assailant Wednesday at Superior Court.
"Him I’ll see in hell, your honor; I’ll be waiting," the victim’s father said, before Milford Superior Court Judge John Ronan sentenced Albert Cifarelli to serve nine years in prison.
Cifarelli, 17, of Orange had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault for molesting the child over a two-year period.
"There is nothing for me to do now, except to change," Cifarelli said in court Wednesday. "There are no words to describe the pain and guilt I feel. There are not enough ‘sorries’ in the world."
Cifarelli said he is now a different person than the 15-year-old who began molesting the child, but Ronan was not convinced.
"How could you possibly think this is something you could or should do?" Ronan said to Cifarelli. "This has devastated that family and at the same time devastated your family; it’s unimaginable what everyone had to go through because of you. It’s disgusting."
The victim’s mother, who was visibly distraught in court, said the child still has nightmares and suffers emotionally from the sexual assaults.
Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Russo said this was one of the most difficult cases he had handled in his career as a prosecutor, because of the severity of the charges and the young ages of the perpetrator and victim. Despite Cifarelli’s age, trying him as a youthful offender was something that was never discussed, Russo said.
Also, despite any qualms Russo may have had about sending a young man to prison, he said, "I’ve been doing this long enough to know every action has consequences."
Cifarelli was sentenced to 15 years in prison, suspended after he serves nine years. He also must serve 10 years of probation when he is released from prison. Cifarelli also will have to register as a sex offender for 15 years, undergo psychological evaluation and treatment and won’t be allowed near any child under the age of 16.
"As far as the sentencing goes, the state achieved what it wanted, but it’s not happy for anyone involved in the case," Russo said.
James Tinley can be reached at jtinley@nhregister.com, or 876-3030.