Former Carbondale man sentenced to state prison for sexually abusing girl
Jun. 27—SCRANTON — A former Carbondale man will spend 18 months to five years in state prison for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl.
Kevin Jamerson Bennett was sentenced Tuesday by Lackawanna County Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle for his Jan. 5 guilty plea to one count of unlawful contact with a minor.
The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.
Carbondale police filed charges against Bennett in August 2021 after the 7-year-old told authorities he fondled her over and under her clothing on multiple occasions between December 2020 and May 2021.
The 46-year-old defendant, who most recently lived in Smyrna, Delaware, was taken into custody in April 2022.
In seeking a harsh sentence, Deputy District Attorney Bo Loughney described Bennett as a predator and cited a series of aggravating factors in the case.
He told Moyle the abuse involved planning by Bennett, and there were instances when he assaulted his victim several times in one day.
"This 7-year-old girl was abused for six months by a man in his 40s," Loughney said.
Defense attorney Patrick Rogan asked the judge to consider Bennett's status as a veteran, including his two tours of duty overseas, and the fact he had no previous involvement with the criminal justice system.
Bennett told Moyle he was sorry the abuse happened.
In handing down the sentence, the judge told Bennett she thought he was sincere in his remorse but said Loughney made some strong points.
Bennett faces lifetime registration as a sexually violent predator after Moyle ruled following a hearing last week that he met the criteria for the designation.
She also ordered him to have no contact with the victim or her family.
Contact the writer:
dsingleton@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9132.
