Ex-NJ mayor sentenced to 25 years in child sex abuse case
DOVER, Del. -- The former mayor of a New Jersey suburb was sentenced to prison Friday for repeatedly raping and molesting a young girl at his Delaware home.
After imposing the maximum sentence of 25 years, the judge also ordered that 71-year-old Matthew Scannapieco must register as a sex offender and have no contact with the victim. The judge said that despite Scannapieco's apologies, he did not show remorse, the deputy attorney general told NJ.com.
He served as mayor of Marlboro, N.J. Township from 1992 until 2003. He was later charged with tax evasion and accepting $245,000 in bribes, according to the site.
Authorities say Scannapieco sexually abused the girl over a three year period while awaiting sentencing in federal court after pleading guilty to the tax and bribery charges in 2005. Arrested in August 2014 and charged with sexually abusing the girl, he pleaded guilty in May to continuous sexual abuse of a child, rape, and unlawful sexual contact.
His defense attorney had reportedly asked for a 15-year prison sentence.
The judge ultimately sentenced Scannapieco to 58 years total on sexual abuse charges -- a mandatory 25 years behind bars and then 33 years' probation, according to NJ.com.