Man who abused step son gets 10 years to life

Damion C. Wise still had no explanation for the beatings and emotional abuse he delivered to his 8-year-old step-son last summer at their Brookfield Township home, but he pleaded guilty Thursday to 10 offenses, including rape, and received a prison sentence of 10 years to life.

Diane Barber, an assistant county prosecutor, said some of the charges stemmed from Wise, 30, hitting the boy twice in the head with a small wooden bat; raping him with a tooth brush; stomping on his chest, which broke a rib; choking him; sticking his fingers in his throat.

“When we received the call from the Brookfield Police in August of last year, even our most veteran caseworkers were aghast at the condition of the 8-year-old victim,” Marcia Tiger, executive director of the Trumbull County Children’s Services Board told the court before sentencing.

Wise declined to explain his actions to Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court or to the media while being led away to the Trumbull County jail.

Barber said prosecutors agreed to grant Wise a sentence of as little as 10 years to prevent the victim, who is “very afraid of the defendant,” from having to testify.

But the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s office is “very active at parole board hearings,” and will work hard to prevent Wise from being released too early.

Wise was evaluated by a forensic psychologist after he pleaded innocent by reason of insanity, but Barber was not able to say what the psychologist determined.