A former New Jersey mayor could end up spending life in prison after pleading guilty to raping and sexually abusing a female relative during her childhood, the Asbury Park Press newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Matthew Scannapieco, 71, was mayor of Marlboro, New Jersey from 1992 to 2003. The Republican pleaded guilt in May in a court in Delaware to continuous sexual abuse of a child, first-degree rape and first-degree unlawful sexual contact, according to the newspaper.
The newspaper reported that after he was arrested in August 2014, he told police the 50 to 60 sexual acts with the girl took place between 2006 to 2008.
The former mayor could face anywhere from two to 25 years for the charge of continuous sexual abuse of child, 15 years to life in prison for the first-degree rape charge and up to three years for unlawful sexual contact, according to the Asbury Park Press. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 4 in Wilmington, Delaware.
Scannapieco previously served time in prison for taking $245,000 in bribes from land developers during his tenure as mayor.
