John R. Vitale, 66, who formerly lived in Barnhart and Imperial, faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole after a Jefferson County jury found him guilty of sexually abusing a girl. On May 4, the jury found him guilty of three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy and three counts of first-degree statutory rape, all unclassified felonies, according to court records.
Jefferson County Div. 5 Circuit Judge Victor Melenbrink is scheduled on July 22 to sentence Vitale, whose current address is listed in St. Louis. Because the victim was younger than 12 years old when the abuse began, the felonies are considered aggravated sexual offenses and are punishable by no less than 10 years in prison and up to life imprisonment.
The abuse happened between January 2010 and March 2016, when he restrained the girl and forced her to perform sexual acts, the probable-cause statement said.
Vitale was being held in Jefferson County Jail.
Assistant prosecuting attorney Travis Partney is handling the case.