121925...R GENETTA SENT 5...Warren...12-19-25...Shane Genetta, 40, of Girard, left, stands before Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice and is sentenced Friday morning...by R. Michael Semple

WARREN — A Girard man will have more than a lifetime to think about his actions against a young girl.

Shane Genetta, 40, of Elruth Court, was sentenced to a total of 120 to 125 years in prison Friday morning by Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice.

If he ever is released, Genetta will be required to register as a Tier III sex offender, which means he will be required to register with the sheriff of any county he chooses to reside or find employment in every 90 days for the rest of his life. He also will be prohibited from establishing residence or occupying premises 1,000 feet from school, preschool or child daycare premises.

Genetta’s sentencing comes a day after he was convicted on 16 of 19 charges against him.

The charges included six counts of rape, four counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and six counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor.

The jurors, who deliberated for about four hours, returned three not guilty verdicts on two rape charges alleging Genetta assaulted the young female victim, not related to him, at age 12 and a gross sexual imposition charge involving the same victim at age 6.

Jurors believed the massive video evidence showing sexual assaults on the now 16-year-old victim, which occurred at Genetta’s Girard apartment earlier this year.

The victim, who testified for several hours earlier in the week, revealed she told her mother about the abuse in May, leading to Genetta’s arrest the next day.

Genetta rejected a plea deal in late November that offered him an aggregate sentence of 35 years to life in prison if he pleaded guilty to all charges.

MERCY

Aaron Meikle, Genetta’s attorney, said that outside of the courtroom, cases such as his client’s were often reduced to “headlines and assumptions” and allegations can take a life of their own.

“Here, decisions are based on evidence, proof and a verdict, and all of the outside noise, the allegations — a lot of the headlines, a lot of the rumors — Shane was acquitted on those,” Meikle said.

Meikle said they respect the allegations about Genetta’s first three counts, the verdict and the serious nature of the offenses. At the same time, however, Meikle said the verdicts provided “important guidance” for a sentencing, noting that the jury acquitted Genetta of every allegation before the victim turned 16.

“It (the jury) convicted counts tied to conduct that occurred after that point, and that was supported by the legal habits — those distinctions matter under Ohio sentencing statutes,” Meikle said. “Revised Code 2929.11.12 requires this court to impose a sentence proportionate, individualized, and no more severe than necessary.”

Meikle said the jury’s verdict suggests it carefully weighed the evidence, but didn’t accept the state’s case in its entirety, rejecting the alleged long-term narrative and limited findings to a narrow set of conduct.

“The defense asks the court to respect those distinctions; there’s no question that the relationship underlying these convictions was inappropriate,” Meikle said.

Meikle said the jury found the victim wasn’t a willing participant, which Genetta didn’t recognize.

“Shane has no prior criminal history, has a record of military service, having entered the service as a young man and spent significant time overseas,” Meikle said. “While that background does not excuse his behavior, it does help place it in a context that is relevant by the law, with respect to the consecutive sentences.”

VICTIM STATEMENTS

In a statement read by Prosecutor’s Victim / Witness Division coordinator Jenna Maze, the girl said her innocence was stolen from her before she even had a chance to understand what was happening — calling the emotional pain and anxiety she had felt since the age of 12 “constant and overwhelming.”

“My body and mind react as if there is danger close by, even when I am safe. I struggle with worry, fear and emotional distress that can appear suddenly,” the teenager said. “These feelings affect my ability to relax, feel safe and to feel peace within myself. The trauma severely altered how I see and grew up seeing myself. I carry guilt, humiliation and self-blame.”

The juvenile said certain smells, memories or events bring every bad memory back, causing hard-to-control emotional pain.

“What hurts the most is knowing I deserve protection, safety, and care, but instead, I was forced to grow up way too soon,” the girl said. “Parts of my life and childhood were taken from me forever. This crime has shaped how I think, who I am and how I see and move through the world.”

Brittney Santisi, the juvenile’s aunt, recalled being sent to live with her sister, watching the child while her sister worked.

“One day, I go to visit, and I look my little human in the eyes, and I notice the light is gone. The light I saw that gave me the fluttering feeling when I was 15,” Santisi said. “Something’s happened. What did I miss? Like a thief in the night, Shane came to steal and destroy my little human. He has taken her light, and I must get it back for her.”

Santisi said Genetta threatened and scared the juvenile for years, telling her no one was there to protect her.

Santisi called Genetta a disgrace to the United States military, questioning how many others he could have potentially hurt.

“He broke his promise when he forced himself onto a helpless little girl, knowing her mother was working to provide for her family and her baby sister could not protect her,” Santisi said. “He told people he was her dad, but fathers don’t molest, rape and terrorize their children.”

RICE’S VERDICT

Rice said that, for sentencing purposes, Genetta’s offenses happened at separate locations and times with a separate motivation, meaning a merger was not required.

Genetta is set to serve 10 to 15 years for first-degree rape and 10 years apiece for five other counts of the same charge.

He will serve six years apiece for five counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person.

All counts are to be served consecutively, Rice said.

Rice said Genetta traumatized the victim for 10 years, finding that she suffered “serious psychological harm” at the hands of the relationship, which facilitated the offenses.

“I do not believe that there’s any vindication of any allegations that have been made against you, but they have been proved through the videos that you took,” Rice said. “The defendant violated the trust of the people that he lived with in an inconceivable manner.”

Rice said Genetta threatened the girl psychologically to prevent her from telling anyone what he was doing, threatening to kill himself if she did.

Rice said the evidence in the case was “overwhelming” because of Genetta’s collection of trophies.

“You ask for mercy now, but you did not hear the victim’s cries to stop; you were hurting her, and you didn’t care,” Rice said.

Rice said she did consider Genetta’s lack of criminal record, but his lack of remorse and acceptance of responsibility showed the sentencing to be “proportionate and consistent” based on similar cases.

“You groomed her. You made her live a life of fear and confusion. You stole her innocence. You caused her emotional pain and anxiety from a very young age,” Rice said. “From what I heard in her victim impact statement this morning, she’s going to suffer from PTSD for the rest of her life for what you did to her.”

PROSECUTION

Assistant Prosecutor Diane Barber said she was “very satisfied” with the jury’s verdict, praising their close attention to detail during the trial’s proceedings, which began Tuesday and concluded Thursday.

“We are also very satisfied with Judge Cynthia Rice’s sentence, because now, she has assured that this defendant will never molest another child again,” Barber said.

Barber also commended the Liberty Police Department and Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s work, too.

“Without them, collecting all of the evidence that they did so expeditiously, that enabled us to present a solid case to a jury,” Barber said.