Jonathan Emerine found guilty of child rape after brief deliberations

WARREN

A jury deliberated only one hour Thursday morning before delivering verdicts finding Jonathan R. Emerine, 24, of North Road in Howland guilty of rape and three counts of gross sexual imposition involving girls age 11 and 13 in separate 2015 incidents.

Emerine, who sat without emotion during the trial, likewise showed no reaction when the verdicts were read by Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

Emerine will be sentenced April 18. Diane Barber, assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, said she will ask Judge Kontos to give Emerine the maximum — 361⁄2 years to life in prison.

Barber said these types of cases are difficult to prosecute because there was no physical evidence — only the testimony of the girls, a few adults, expert witnesses and corroborating evidence from text messages.

Read more about the case in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.