Man gets 300 years for child porn
A 73-year-old Fouke, Ark., man who possessed a massive collection of child pornography was sentenced to 300 years in prison Wednesday by a Miller County jury.
Ronald Anthony Antoniello was charged with 30 counts of possessing, distributing or viewing child pornography, though investigators James Lett and Chris Cone testified that more than 3,000 images were found in Antoniello’s possession. At the urging of Arkansas Deputy Attorneys General Will Jones and Julie Irwin, the jury sentenced Antoniello to maximum 10-year sentences on each count, recommended the sentences run consecutively and assessed 30 maximum $10,000 fines for a total $300,000.
Tuesday, jurors cried and turned away as graphic videos depicting the rape of prepubescent girls were played.
Wednesday, Antoniello’s former stepdaughter, now 52, testified during the punishment phase of trial that she and her sister were sexually abused by Antoniello as prepubescent children in the late 1970s. The woman told the jury Antoniello first assaulted her in the water during a beach trip.
“At that time, I tried to convince myself it was an accident,” she testified under questioning from Irwin.
But when Antoniello began assaulting her and her sister, who’s one year older, at night in their beds, there was no doubt.
“We devised a plan to pretend to be asleep and wrap ourselves up tightly in blankets,” the woman testified.
Cartoons of a man assaulting a child in her sleep were found on Antoniello’s computer with the name of Antoniello’s former
stepdaughter and a description of the act. A picture of one former stepdaughter in a bikini was altered to make her appear nude, and the face of a stepdaughter was cut and pasted onto the body of a young girl in a sexually explicit pose.
“Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it gets worse,” Jones said referring to the videos played Tuesday and testimony Wednesday from Antoniello’s former stepdaughter. “It’s an evil that stains your soul, an evil that seeps into your soul, and you can’t wash it away.”
Special Agent James Lett testified that folders titled “My 10-year-old lovers” containing images of the former stepdaughters led him to believe Antoniello might be guilty of “hands-on” sexual child abuse. Lett took his investigation to New York, where Antoniello is originally from, and ultimately to Florida, where the victim who testified Wednesday resides.
Forensic computer analyst Chris Cone testified that he found more than 3,000 images of children that he could positively testify were younger than 17 being sexually abused.
Under questioning from his lawyer, Carolyn Whitefield of Texarkana, Antoniello denied ever molesting a child and described his interest in child pornography as a “curiosity” during the punishment phase of trial.
Under cross examination by Jones, Antoniello admitted he was in the process of collecting pornographic photos of children to use as illustrations for a story he intended to pen involving a building inspector who sexually abuses young children.
Jones noted that Antoniello had downloaded a child abuse fantasy narrative.
“And you’re saying that you didn’t fantasize about molesting children?” Jones asked.
Jones also questioned Antoniello about photos of a young girl debarking a school bus in Fouke and pictures of a girl walking a dog in his neighborhood found on Antoniello’s digital camera. Antoniello explained that the school bus photo was meant for relatives in New York to show where he lives while the dog walker photo was evidence of her canine fouling his yard.
“Looks to me like you zoomed in on her backside there,” Jones said.
When Jones asked Antoniello about the altered photos of his former stepdaughters, Antoniello explained that he was just experimenting with new software.
“It was a stupid thing to do,” Antoniello testified.
Irwin argued in closing remarks that Antoniello’s case is unique.
“In this case, we don’t just have her word,” Irwin said of the former stepdaughter. “For 40 years after the fact, he kept the evidence of what he did.”
Jones asked the jury to consider what the former stepdaughter who testified Wednesday must have felt when she received a call from Lett about abuse she suffered more than four decades ago.
“You get to decide what this community tolerates,” Jones said. “He brought this filth into your community. Tell him what you think of that.”
The jury took about 30 minutes to convict Antoniello and just slightly longer to sentence him. Circuit Judge Brent Haltom’s voice remained steady as he read the sentences and announced his decision to follow the jury’s recommendation and run the terms consecutively.
“You will now be in the custody of the Miller County sheriff until such time as you can be delivered to the Arkansas Department of Correction to serve your 300-year prison sentence,” Haltom said, turning to Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Investigator Alan Fincher, who was placing cuffs around Antoniello’s wrists. “You can take him away.”
But Haltom’s voice cracked as he turned to the jury.
“Judge Hudson, who served in this division before me, always told juries that beyond serving your country in war and giving your life, jury service is the most important,” Haltom said.