Robert Tullio is convicted of years of raping three children in Mahoning County, Ohio

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A city man convicted by a jury of sexual assault last month was sentenced to 44.5 years to life in prison Thursday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Robert Tullio, 55, received the sentence from Judge Anthony D’Apolito on three convictions of rape, a first-degree felony, two of which carried a mandatory sentence of 10 years to life in prison; and 10 counts of gross sexual assault, which are third- and fourth-degree felonies.

Tullio was accused of raping three young children over a period of several years. He has been in the county jail since his arrest following his October 2022 arraignment.

The jury found him guilty on April 11 after a trial before Judge D’Apolito.

Assistant District Attorney Caitlyn Andrews asked for a sentence of 35 years to life in prison. Andrews said Tullio abused the victims, three young girls, for years.

One of the victims in the case is now 34 years old, Andrews said.

Andrews said Tullio violated the trust the victims and their families had in him.

“The things he did when no one was around were vile and disgusting,” Andrews said.

The crimes occurred over a period of 25 years, showing that the abuses were repeated and warranted a lengthy sentence, he said.

One of the victims, whose hands shook as she read a statement, said she had remained silent for years because she wanted to protect her brother.

She said the case and trial have made her stronger and she will move forward and tell her story.

“I hope everyone got a glimpse of the hell we had to go through,” she said. “I am here today to reclaim my body, my self-esteem and my self-love.”

She asked the judge to sentence Tullio to life in prison without parole because of the pain he caused and the impact his abuse would have on her and the other victims for the rest of their lives.

Another victim told the judge she was still trying to process everything that happened to her.

She said the abuse began when she was 10 years old.

“I didn’t know I was being cared for,” she said.

She said Tullio told her he loved her and bought her things while the abuse continued, adding to the confusion.

“When I think of my childhood, I think of a scared little girl screaming for help,” she said.

“It will take time to recover emotionally and psychologically, but thank you and the jury for hearing our stories.”

Defense attorney Mark Lavelle said he would appeal. He advised Tullio to be careful what he said since Tullio maintained his innocence.

Lavelle also said prosecutors want to punish Tullio for exercising his constitutional right to take his case to trial by seeking a lengthy prison sentence.

Tullio did not speak “on the advice of my lawyer.”

Judge D’Apolito said during the trial that he was “stricken by what they went through.” He said he doesn’t have a defendant’s right to have a case against him, but he also can’t ignore what the testimony at trial shows.

He also said that a jury found Tullio guilty on multiple counts after hearing all the evidence.