Pawtucket Man Gets Life Sentence For Child Molestation

PAWTUCKET, RI — —A Pawtucket man was sentenced to life in prison after prosecutors convicted him of multiple counts of child molestation.

After a six-day trial, a jury on March 7 found Milton Aponte, 43, guilty of one count of first-degree child molestation, three counts of second-degree child molestation and one count of simple assault. Then at a hearing last Wednesday before Judge Procaccini, Aponte was sentenced to life in prison, plus another 20 years for violating a previously imposed sentence.

"Sexual assaults against children at the hands of a 'trusted' adult remain an ongoing, devastating problem in Rhode Island — we have charged more than 400 such cases over the last five years alone," Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a statement. "Yet we are reminded time and time again that behind that astounding number, in every case, is a child, one child, who has had the courage to come forward and confront someone who has violated them in a devastating way. In this case, a very brave child spoke up, and in doing so has ensured that this defendant will be unable to victimize anyone else ever again."

Between 2012 and 2018, Aponte sexually assaulted a girl under 14 at several Pawtucket locations. The victim came forward in 2018, and Pawtucket police learned the victim was abused numerous times between the ages of 8 and 13.

Aponte was previously convicted of first-degree child molestation in 1998. After his release in 2012, Aponte was serving the remainder of a 40-year suspended sentence.