A Troy man accused earlier this year of the rape of a girl under age 13 pleaded guilty June 23 to that case and another rape after two more victims came forward with allegations of sexual abuse following his arrest.
Thomas Contento, 49, faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing Aug. 1 in Miami County Common Pleas Court.
He was charged in the first case with five counts of rape for alleged sexual conduct with a person under age 13 between 2003 and 2005.
After those allegations were made public, two others came forward with allegations of sexual abuse, Tony Kendell, Miami County prosecutor said.
A county grand jury subsequently indicted Contento on one count of felony rape of a person under age 13 between June 1, 1994, and Sept. 1, 1997, and two counts of felony rape of a 13 year old between March 1 and April 11, 2005.
As part of a plea deal with prosecutors several of the charges were dismissed in exchange for Contento’s pleas to two felony rape counts.
Prosecutors agreed to recommended nine-year sentences on each of the charges and to recommend the prison terms run consecutively for a total of 18 years. They also agreed to not seek additional charges involving the three individuals.
The pleas came in charges from two cases. The victim in the third case, who now lives out of state, said she wanted the charge dismissed unless proceeding was needed to protect other individuals, Paul Watkins, assistant county prosecutor, told Judge Jeannine Pratt.
Contento had been scheduled to go on trial on the initial cases June 24.
He will be sentenced and a sex offender registration designation made under the sex offense laws in effect at the time of the crimes. Pratt ordered a presentence investigation. Contento remains in the county jail in lieu of bail.
