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WARREN -- A Hubbard man, convicted by a Trumbull County jury earlier this month on 10 out of 14 felony counts dealing with a six-year sexual assault of a female relative, on Tuesday received a life prison sentence.
Judge Andrew Logan told Kenneth Nitso, 33, of Highland Drive in Hubbard, that the first chance at parole would come after he first served 30 years.
Nitso stood emotionless, wearing orange jail coveralls, and said nothing to the judge prior to sentencing. His lawyer, Morgan Caruso, noted the defendant had a lack of a criminal history in asking the judge to impose the minimum sentencing.
Caruso said she would be filing an appeal but asked the judge to appoint someone to represent Nitso at the appellate level.
Logan also labeled Nitso a Tier 3 sexual offender, which means if he is released from prison, he would have to register his address four time per year for the rest of his life.
The judge said he had read a letter submitted by the young female victim, who was 6 when Nitso first assaulted her. Both attorneys also submitted memos to the court.
Assistant Prosecutor Gabriel Wildman, who had sought a 60-year-to-life sentence, said he was pleased with the judge's decision, which included a consecutive sentence.
JURY VERDICT
On the afternoon of March 2, the jury of seven men and five women brought back a mixed bag of verdicts to the courtroom after deliberating for a little more than three hours.
Nitso was found guilty of eight counts of gross sexual imposition, one count of rape with factual findings and one count of compelling prostitution. The panel, however, found him not guilty of four rape counts.
The convictions ended a three-day jury trial in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
At sentencing, Logan sentenced him to 25 years to life for the rape conviction consecutive to the five concurrent years he gave for the gross sexual imposition convictions.
Wildman said he thought the not guilty verdicts were reflective of the lack of specifics given by the young victim, who had testified with a comfort dog at her side.
The indictment alleges that Nitso from about May 2016 through May 2021 committed many sexual acts against the girl, who is now 13.
During testimony, jurors heard that the girl told counselors that sexual abuse "happened about a million times. It happened almost every day."
After one incident, the victim told investigators that Nitso offered her $40 to keep the abuse quiet. After another incident, the victim said the defendant bought her a king-sized Kit Kat candy bar at a gas station.
A Hubbard police detective told jurors his investigation of the rape of the girl centered only on Nitso -- because there were no other suspects.