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August 05, 2004
Former Teacher Gets Probation In Abuse Case
05 Aug 2004
By Brian McBride News-Gazette Staff Writer
A former second-grade teacher accused of molesting four Kissimmee Elementary School girls escaped jail time Wednesday after he was given a five-year probation sentence.
Former Kissimmee Elementary School teacher Matthew Rossillo quickly left the courtroom without speaking Wednesday after Ninth
Circuit Court Judge Tom W. Turner handed down the sentence.
Rossillo, 27, who had faced four counts of child molestation after he was arrested in May of 2003, struck a deal with prosecutors last week to plead no contest to one count of child abuse.
According to the probation terms, Rossillo must receive a sex offender evaluation, which will determine if he must undergo therapy. He cannot have any contact with the victims or any unsupervised contact with minors. He is also prohibited from working or volunteering in a setting where there are children involved.
“We’re glad it’s over,” said Rossillo’s attorney Andrea Black. “Matt is very distressed, sad about the children and angry by the perpetuations by the adults. He just wants to get on with his life.”
Under the child molestation charges, Rossillo could have faced up to 30 years in jail per count. But the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office did not proceed with a trial because there were concerns that a jury could find reasonable doubt in the case, prosecutors said. But the plea, however, would result in an adjudicated guilty verdict, officials said.
Turner could have sentenced Rossillo to a maximum of five years in prison.
“This is a situation with no winners or losers,” said Turner. “I think it’s an ap-propriate deal and an appropriate sentence.”
State prosecutor Lorraine DeYoung said the verdict was “fair and it was just.”
Rossillo was arrested after authorities said he played the “finger game” with the four girls in his class, allegedly tricking them into fondling his genitals.
According to Kissimmee police reports, Rossillo had the girls stand either in front of him or to his side at his desk after class, telling them to reach and feel the number of fingers he was holding. The victims said after several times of doing this, Rossillo exposed himself and fooled them into feeling his sexual organ, police reports said.
Before the sentence, a parent of one of the victims addressed the court.
“I’m not happy with the decision. I know my daughter does not lie. I know what happened, happened,” he said. “This has affected the whole family.”
In response to the case, the Osceola County School Board had examined the school district’s hiring procedures, which include background checks, but found nothing further could have been done to alert officials about the alleged incident that occurred.
“Hopefully the situation will resolve the matter with no further problems,” Turner said.
Posted by Nealus at August 5, 2004 12:59 PM
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