Cranston Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Molestation -- 10 to Serve

David Pope of Cranston, charged in 2010 for allegedly molesting a child under 10 for at least three years, will spend 10 years behind bars after pleading no contest Friday to one count of first-degree child molestation in Providence County Superior Court.

Superior Court Justice Susan E. McGuirl sentenced Pope to 30 years with 10 to serve and the remainder suspended with probation. He will also be a registered sex offender for life and was ordered to have no contact with the victim and undergo sex offender counseling.

At the same time, Pope pleaded no contest to a 2008 charge of credit card fraud and was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $19,000.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin said that had the case gone to trial, prosecutors would present evidence that Pope molested a young child with whom he had a close relationship between 2007 and 2010.

“Child molestation cases, especially those perpetrated at the hands of someone in a position of trust, are possibly the most difficult cases to prosecute. The emotional toll on all involved is tremendous. Yet, throughout the prosecution of such a case, it is often the resiliency and strength of the victims that provide the police, prosecutors and victim advocates with the determination and drive to continue the fight in getting justice for the victims,” Kilmartin said in a statement.

The Court granted the defendant a stay of execution until June 15, 2015, at which date he will be remanded to the custody of the Adult Correctional Institution.

Cranston Police Sergeant Edward Walsh (ret.) led the investigation and Special Assistant Attorneys General Sara Tindall-Woodman and Amy Dodge prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.