Lebanon teen pleads guilty, avoids jail in assault on young Dover girl

Agostino R. Dimambro (Dover Police photo)

DOVER - A Lebanon teenager pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of simple assault on a 14-year-old girl as part of a plea deal that keeps him out of jail and off a sex offender registry.

Agostino R. Dimambro, 19, of 150 New Bridge Road, had been charged with attempted sexual assault and sexual assault, both Class A misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in county jail.

As part of the plea deal he was sentenced to 12 months in jail, all suspended for two years pending good behavior.

Shortly after his arrest in May, Dover Police Lt. Brant Dolleman said police began their investigation in January after an individual reported to them that a crime may have been committed.

A lengthy investigation followed, said Dolleman, who added he believed there were only two incidents of such contact, one in December 2015 and one in January. Both incidents occurred in Dover where the girl lived, police said.

Dimambro's charges were for sexual assault, not rape, for Dimambro allegedly touching the girl on one occasion and attempting to touch her on another occasion.

The charges were never felonies, as Dimambro was less than five years older than the victim, who was 14 at the time of the incidents. If the gap had been more than five years, charges would've been far more serious, said Assistant County Attorney Emily Conant who prosecuted the case.

Conant said the victim made no statement at Wednesday's sentencing, but was OK with the terms of the plea deal.

For his part, Dimambro has already undergone a sex offender evaluation, with it being found sex offender counseling was not needed.

He will, however, attend regular counseling, Conant said.