John R. Vitale, 67, formerly of Barnhart and Imperial, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for sexually abusing a girl over a six-year period.
Vitale’s most recent address was in St. Louis.
On May 4, a jury found Vitale guilty of three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy and three counts of first-degree statutory rape, all unclassified felonies, and on July 22, Jefferson County Div. 5 Circuit Judge Victor Melenbrink handed down the sentence, according to court records.
Because the victim was younger than 12 years old when the abuse began, the felonies are considered aggravated sexual offenses and were punishable by no less than 10 years in prison and up to life imprisonment.
The abuse happened between January 2010 and March 2016, when Vitale restrained the girl and forced her to perform sexual acts, the probable-cause statement said.
Assistant prosecuting attorney Travis Partney handled the case, which was investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.