A Pike County deputy sheriff at the time of his arrest, John Conte, 59, of East Stroudsburg, was sentenced Wednesday to two and a half to five years in state prison after a jury convicted him of endangering a child’s welfare, Assistant District Attorney Michael Rakaczewski said.
Conte originally was charged with committing multiple sexual offenses against a woman (who’s now age 29) when she was between ages 4 and 8. At the time, she was living with her family in Long Pond, but left alone with Conte when victimized by him, a Pocono Mountain Regional Police affidavit states.
Conte was charged in 1992 (when the woman was 5) with simple assault against her mother, but the charge later was withdrawn when the mother didn’t testify.
Years ago, another girl known to the family told the mother Conte had raped her and warned the mother not to leave her daughters around him, the affidavit states. This other girl has since died.
A second woman known to the family reported Conte victimized her while babysitting her when she was between ages 8 and 10 in New Jersey, the affidavit states. This second woman said Conte did this for more than a year.
Conte was arrested in January 2016 on charges including rape by forcible compulsion. Later dismissed were charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse (IDSI) on a person under age 16 and aggravated indecent assault on a person between ages 14 and 18.
A jury in April convicted Conte of endangering a child’s welfare while acquitting him of rape and IDSI (both by forcible compulsion), aggravated indecent assault without consent, displaying obscene/sexual materials (pornography) and corrupting a minor. He has the right to appeal.
Source: poconorecord.com