Man pleads innocent in rape of 19-month-old

Lowell Sun

Man pleads innocent in rape of 19-month-old

By Lisa Redmond

6/21/2011

LOWELL -- After falling asleep on the couch, an Ayer woman awoke at 1 a.m., to allegedly catch Joseph Sacramone in the act of sexually assaulting her 19-month-old daughter, according to prosecutors.

When the woman asked Sacramone what he was doing, he did not reply and left the room. (The woman and child are both known to Sacramone.) The woman believed Sacramone was drunk at the time.

Before to that incident, in late January 2010 or early February 2010, Sacramone told the woman he used to be in love with her but now he was "in love" with the child, prosecutor Deborah Bercovitch alleges.

In Lowell Superior Court recently, Sacramone, 44, of Ayer, pleaded innocent to assault to rape a child and enticement of a child under 16. Judge John Lu ordered Sacramone released on personal recognizance on the condition that he not use any drugs or alcohol, submit to random screens, and have no unsupervised contact with children under 16.

In addition, Sacramone is to abide by all restraining orders and orders issued by the state Department of Children and Families, have no contact with any of the witnesses and report to probation.

According to court documents, Bercovitch alleges there were other incidents involving Sacramone and the child in which he would insist on closing the door when he was alone with the child.