Reality TV Host Gets 3 Years For Sexual Assault Of Girl, 10

OLD LYME, CT — The almost-star of a reality home improvement show, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting his daughter's then-10-year-old friend at a November 2017 sleepover in his Old Lyme home, is going to prison.

On Wednesday, Christopher Dionne was sentenced to three years in prison, according to The Day's crime and justice reporter Karen Florin.

In October, a jury in New London found Dionne guilty of fourth-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor. He had been out on a $100,000 bond until today's sentencing.

Dionne's own children were asleep nearby at the time of the assault in the middle of the night, according to reports.

Dionne, 37, and his identical twin brother Michael, have a home rehabilitation and restoration business called Dionne Home. Christopher Dionne, of Village Lane, and his twin brother appeared in a HGTV show called "Family Flip" and had begun taping the pilot for an A&E show called "House Rescue" when he was arrested. The show was scuttled by the cable network.

The Sexual Assault

Dionne was arrested by Connecticut State Police in January 2018 on allegations he touched the girl's buttocks under her pajamas, lifted up her top, touched her chest and took cell phone pictures.

The girl told police she was sleeping on a coach during a sleepover between Nov. 25 and Nov. 26 of 2017 when she was awakened by Dionne touching her.

He has denied the allegations all along.

In The Day coverage of the courtroom proceedings, Dionne's wife, Summer Dionne, testified she learned that her husband was involved in a sexual relationship with the victim's mother.
The Day reported Summer Dionne said, contrary to the testimony of the victim's mother, the relationship with Dionne was a "sexting one," and Dionne told her, "'I've been sending pictures to her. We've been having a sexual relationship.'"

He told the girl, “Don’t tell your mom, I’ll go to jail,” his arrest warrant reportedly said.

Dionne was arrested in April 2019 for violating a protective order, court records show. It's not clear if that is in reference to the sexual assault case.

Editor's note: Patch has requested all the documents on the case from state police, along with his original arrest warrant in the sexual assault, and was told those would be available when the case is fully adjudicated. This story may be updated if and when those documents are released and shed any more light on the case.