Former Vernon Couple Sentenced On Multiple Sexual Assault Charges

VERNON, CT — A former Vernon couple facing several criminal charges each in connection with a sexual assault investigation involving two minors and a third person dating back to 2020 was sentenced Friday, prosecutors said.

Tolland State's Attorney Matthew C. Gedansky and Hartford State's Attorney Sharmese L. Walcott, said that Judge Kathleen E. McNamara on Friday sentenced Carlos Rivera and Taina Rivera, previously of Vernon, on two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree sexual assault.

Carlos Rivera was sentenced to 20 years in prison with the execution of the sentence suspended after 14 years served, and 20 years of probation. Taina Rivera was sentenced to 20 years, execution of that sentence suspended after 12 years served, and 20 years of probation . Carlos Rivera will be required to register with the Sexual Offender Registry for life and Taina Rivera will be required to register for 10 years, the prosecutors said.

The Riveras' sentencings follow their arrests in April of 2022 after a lengthy investigation by detectives with the Vernon Police Department, the Hartford Police Department and the Manchester Police Department.

In April of 2022, Vernon Police received a complaint from a juvenile, accusing the Riveras of sexual abuse. As a result of that complaint, investigations were launched in multiple jurisdictions, and the Riveras were arrested for the sexual assault of three people related to them, according to case records.

Prosecutors said both Carlos and Taina Rivera worked in concert together to sexually assault the three individuals, two of whom were minors at the time.

On July 26 of this year, they both pleaded guilty to sexual offenses against the three victims.

During Friday's lengthy sentencing hearing in Rockville Superior Court, victims and family members "recounted the horror of their sexual abuse and the lasting effects of the Riveras' crimes on the family," the prosecutors said.

The state requested that Carlos Rivera be sentenced to 18 years to serve, and Taina Rivera be sentenced to 16 years to serve, due to the "horrific nature of the crimes, the number of victims, as well as the extremely egregious behavior of a married couple perpetrating sexual assaults together."

Prosecutors added, "The State wishes to thank the survivors of these sexual assaults and their family members for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of these cases. While no sentence can undo the harm that these defendants caused, it will ensure that the Riveras’ cannot victimize anyone else for a significant period of time. The State would also like to thank the Vernon Police Department, Manchester Police Department, Hartford Police Department, with special thanks to Detective Cody Flanigan of the Vernon Police Department."

The case was jointly prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Jaclyn Preville and Deputy Assistant State's Attorney Stacey Cox, with assistance from Victim Advocates Tracy Miller-Freeman and Rita Riccardi.