Warwick, RI – A Florida man convicted in November with child molestation and sexual assault in Warwick in the 1990s was sentenced to life in prison Friday in Superior Court.
Superior Court Justice Brian P. Stern sentenced John Cavanaugh, 64, of Spring Hill, Florida, to life in prison for the molestation and sexual assault of a young girl in the 1990s at his home in Warwick, according to a release from the office of Attorney General Peter Kilmartin.
Cavanaugh was found guilty by a jury in November 2014 of one count of first degree sexual assault and four counts of second degree child molestation. Stern sentenced Cavanaugh to life on the first degree sexual assault and 10 years suspended with probation on each of the four counts of second degree child molestation.
At trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Cavanaugh molested a girl known to him on several occasions in the 1990s, when the victim was between the ages of nine and 15. The victim reported the crime to the Warwick Police Department in 2013, according to the AG’s office.
Warwick Police Detective Shaun Turcotte led the investigation. Special Assistant Attorney General Timothy Healy prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.
“After years of being afraid to come forward and report the abuse, it is my sincerest hope that this sentence brings a sense of justice for the victim. Moreover, I hope it gives others who may not have come forward to report their abusers the strength to do so knowing the police and my Office will fight to give them justice as well,” Kilmartin stated in the release.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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