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Child rapist gets 10 years in prison
The children’s mother asked the judge to impose two life prison terms.
YOUNGSTOWN — A 32-year-old man is going to prison for 10 years after he pleaded guilty to two counts of raping children.
Calling the crimes “heinous acts,” Judge John M. Durkin imposed the two concurrent 10-year prison terms Wednesday on Chad E. Romigh, of Fairground Boulevard, Canfield.
The sentencing came immediately after Romigh entered his guilty pleas to raping a live-in girlfriend’s son and daughter in the last half of 2006. The boy was 7 and 8 years old and the girl was 9 when the offenses occurred in Youngstown.
The prison time is nonappealable because the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court judge adopted the joint sentencing recommendation of the prosecution and defense.
In the plea agreement, the prosecution agreed to drop the mandatory life prison sentence provisions in the two rape counts to which Romigh pleaded guilty. It also agreed to drop two other rape counts and four counts each of gross sexual imposition and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.
The children’s mother told Youngstown police Romigh moved out of her residence April 5 after she and Romigh fought.
More than two weeks later, her son told police that, over a two-year period, Romigh would disrobe and order the boy to engage in a sex act with him.
The boy, who didn’t make his allegations to his mother until April 20, told her he was afraid to tell her about the abuse while Romigh lived with the family, the boy’s mother told police.
The children’s mother said tearfully that her daughter “is tormented with nightmares’’ and her son has been severely depressed and suicidal. The children reported they were molested in every room of their 14-room home except the kitchen and cellar, she said.
“Give my children justice and help settle our conflicts by giving him two life sentences for the many lives he has destroyed,” she urged the judge. After the hearing, she said she was “disgusted” with the plea deal.
Saying he was molested as a child and had a drinking problem since he was 16, Romigh was tearful and trembling as he apologized to the children’s mother in court. “I’m truly sorry. ... Don’t forget. Just forgive me,” he asked.
Judge Durkin told Romigh he’ll be on parole for five years after he leaves prison, and he must register as a sex offender quarterly with the sheriff for life.
“I can’t think of an offense where someone is truly as helpless as a child where their innocence is stolen and can never be replaced,” Judge Durkin said.
“Nothing’s going to repair what occurred. Nothing’s going to make these children whole,” said Romigh’s lawyer, Mark Lavelle, who urged the judge to adopt the 10-year sentence.
Dawn Cantalamessa, assistant county prosecutor, said she made the plea deal to spare the children from the ordeal of testifying in a trial. She also said the children reported some of the alleged offenses occurred outside the court’s jurisdiction in Sharon, Pa.
The children’s mother said she is working with Sharon police and the Mercer County District Attorney’s office concerning potential additional charges in Pennsylvania.
milliken@vindy.com