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August 29, 2008

Man 79, sentenced for molesting girls

An Ellwood City man is going to jail for molesting little girls.

John George DeGruttola, 79, of 1301 Davis Road, was sentenced Aug. 26 by Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge J. Craig Cox to serve six to 23 1/2 months in the Lawrence County jail. He was given credit for one day served.

When paroled, DeGruttola will serve the balance of the sentence under the supervision of Lawrence County�s adult probation office.

He was ordered to report to the jail by 9 a.m. Oct. 24.

The sentence resolves three cases, according to assistant district attorney Kathleen Fee Baird. All three victims, she said, were younger than 13. At least one was as young as 4 years old, she said.

DeGruttola had pleaded guilty to indecent assault of all three victims. The girls were not present at the Aug. 26 proceedings.

Cox imposed identical sentences in all three cases and ordered all sentences be served concurrently.

Special conditions of the sentence bar DeGruttola from direct or indirect contact with the victims or their families.

He also is ordered to pay costs of prosecution, supervision fees while on parole and a $25 fee for a criminal record search.

He must provide a DNA sample, as required under the Detection of Sexual Offenders and Other Offenders Act, and a $250 fee associated with the DNA sampling.

As part of his sentence, DeGruttola is required to undergo sexual offender�s counseling and treatment as approved by the adult probation office and to comply with recommended treatment.

The first victim, Baird said yesterday, was allegedly molested in the 1990s.

She said charges were not filed at the time following an understanding that DeGruttola would seek treatment.

�This did not happen,� she said. �Now he will have the opportunity to obtain the counseling and treatment that he needs.�

DeGruttola was represented by his attorney David Acker.

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