Zach Tomaselli is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday to a state prison for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in 2009.

Tomaselli, 23, of Lewiston, Maine, accused Bernie Fine, former Syracuse University associate men’s basketball coach, of molesting him in a Pittsburgh hotel room in 2002 during an away game. He is scheduled to be sentenced at 8:30 a.m. in Superior Court in Auburn, Maine, according to an April 6 article in The Post-Standard.

Justin Leary, Tomaselli’s attorney, said Maine Supreme Court Justice Robert Clifford is expected to sentence Tomaselli to three years and three months in state prison, according to the article. Tomaselli will begin serving his sentence April 18.

Lewiston police arrested Tomaselli on April 13, 2011, on charges of having sexual contact with a boy who attended a camp where Tomaselli was a counselor.

However, much of Tomaselli’s sentence was suspended after he pleaded guilty to gross sexual assault, unlawful sexual contact and two other sex-related counts on Dec. 20, according to the article. His plea was part of an agreement that allowed seven other counts to be dropped as well.

Leary said it is hoped Tomaselli will be able to participate in a sex offender counseling program while he is in prison, according to the article. The sentence includes further counseling and six years of probation after prison. If Tomaselli violates the probation, he risks returning to prison for an additional eight years and nine months.

On Friday, Tomaselli said he is ready to begin serving his sentence and hopes counseling will help him, according to the article. Fine has not been charged and denies all accusations.

rebarill@syr.edu

Published on April 6, 2012 at 12:00 pm