Man Accused of First-Degree Sexual Assault in Providence RI
Criminal Charges:
Man charged in the Providence, Rhode Island Superior Court (Providence County), for:
- First-Degree Sexual Assault, in violation of RIGL § 11-37-2
Case Overview:
A man was accused by his soon-to-be ex-wife with sexually assaulting his mentally handicapped stepson. The stepson, age 20, has the mental capacity of a 2-year-old. He is non-verbal, handicapped, and suffers from cerebral palsy. The ex-wife claims she woke up late one night and discovered her husband inside the son’s room, inside his hospital bed, having sex with him. She further alleged that her 17-year-old son, a high school student, also witnessed this event. She claimed the husband apologized and said that the devil made him do it. The woman packed her belongings and took her two children to a hotel for the evening. A day or two later she notified police. Based on her claims, with her youngest son as a corroborating witness, police arrested the man. He initially appeared in Rhode Island District Court (6th Division) and was ordered held without bail. Soon after, he was indicted in Rhode Island Superior Court (Providence County) on First-Degree Sexual Assault, a capital offense under Rhode Island criminal law. The man and his family retained Rhode Island Sex Assault Defense Lawyer, John L. Calcagni III, to defend him in this matter.
Case Result: Bail Granted.
The case proceeded to a bail hearing where during the soon-to-be ex-wife’s testimony, the Court called a recess. After a short conference about evidentiary weaknesses in the State’s evidence, the parties reached an agreement for the man to be released on $100,000 surety bail with conditions of home confinement, passport surrender, and no contact with the alleged victim.