Lynnfield man convicted of child rape receives sentence

SALEM – A 75-year-old Lynnfield man was sentenced to seven to 10 years in state prison after being found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a teenage relative in 2005 and 2006.”He made my family turn on each other and on me,” the victim, now in his early 20s, said in an impact statement in Salem Superior Court Tuesday. “He single-handedly burned my family tree into the ground.”An Essex Superior Court jury Tuesday convicted Ronald Disciscio, 75, of Lynnfield, of two counts of rape of a child; two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over; and indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or under.The jury returned the verdict a week after the trial began.But Disciscio was originally scheduled to go to trial on the charges in December 2007.Prosecutors dismissed the case without prejudice, however, when the victim – a minor at the time – appeared to be uncooperative.The victim testified this week, however, that his family pressured him at the time into not pursuing the charges.(A family member of the victim pleaded out to a charge of witness intimidation and the case was continued without a finding of guilt or innocence, Essex District Attorney spokeswoman Carrie Kimball-Monahan said.)The victim said in his impact statement he has since changed his name as the family name was “dirty” to him.Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Ellen Lemire, who was handling the case for Essex because the original prosecutor became a potential witness in the witness-intimidation case, cited this recurring investigation as reason for a significant prison sentence.”(The victim) had to go through the investigation and case not once but twice,” Lemire said. “He showed great bravery by appearing twice.”She also cited the victim’s testimony that Disciscio, with whom the victim and his sibling had lived, first essentially disregarded the victim in favor of the sibling. Only once the sexual abuse began, did Disciscio start doting on the victim, according to testimony.Judge Howard Whitehead referenced this in issuing his sentence.(Disciscio) was a lifeline and eventually … that lifeline dragged (the victim) underwater,” Whitehead said.He sentenced Disciscio to seven to 10 years in state prison followed by 10 years of probation with conditions including GPS monitoring and that Disciscio comply with regulations for convicted sex offenders.Whitehead said he recognized the defendant’s age as a “mitigating factor” in the sentence, but said any length of sentence was “essentially a life sentence.”Disciscio’s wife said outside the courtroom that the sentence was “harsh, very harsh,” and the testimony “full of lies.” Defense attorney Ronald Ranta had requested a 2?-year sentence in a house of corrections and told the judge he did not agree with the verdict.Disciscio was immediately taken into custody.”Ron … may you find peace,” the victim said in closing his impact statement.