Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Jason Francis (DOB: 3/12/79), with a last known address of 88 Andover Street, North Providence, was sentenced to 40 years, with 18 years to serve and the remainder suspended with probation, for multiple counts of child molestation.
Francis pled nolo contendere before Superior Court Magistrate John F. McBurney, III, to five counts of first degree child molestation. In addition, Francis was ordered to undergo sex offender counseling and is subject to lifetime GPS monitoring, registration and community notification upon his release. Francis was also ordered to have no contact with the victim and no unsupervised contact with children under 18 years of age.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Francis molested a young girl on multiple occasions between 2005 and 2013, from the time she was five until she was 12 years old. The young girl disclosed the molestation to her mother who contacted the North Providence Police. Francis waived indictment by a grand jury and confessed to the molestation.
"The molestation of a child by the hands of someone who should protect them from harm is reprehensible, and those who abuse children in such an egregious manner should be subject to the strictest penalties allowed under the law," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "I established a Child Abuse Unit recognizing the unique challenges posed by these types of cases. By taking a unified approach with law enforcement, physicians, counselors and prosecutors, we limit the trauma a child has to endure when recounting the abuse or molestation, which has led to quicker resolution of cases."
North Providence Detective Frank Delsanto investigated the case and Special Assistant Attorney General Shannon Signore, chief of the Child Abuse Unit, prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.