Benson receives consecutive sentences

BY STACI WILSON

After pleading no contest to three counts of aggravated indecent assault in June, Joseph Benson, 65, was sentenced to serve consecutive sentences Thursday by Susquehanna County President Judge Kenneth Seamans.

Benson will spend a total of 30 months to 15 years in a state correctional facility on the Megan’s Law offenses, with a lifetime requirement to register as a sexual offender after his release from prison. He was sentenced to 10 months to five years on each of the counts. The victims were all under the age of 16 at the time of the incidents, according to court documents.

According to court documents, three women had reported that Benson sexually assaulted them on multiple occasions from 1998 to 2013 in Auburn Twp. The children, now all adults, said the abuse began when they were about nine years old.

The victims told Benson’s live-in girlfriend, Linda Denniston, about the abuse who failed to report the allegations to authorities. Denniston was sentenced in July for endangering the welfare of a child.

The Susquehanna County Independent does not identify the victims of sexual assault.

District Attorney Jason Legg told the court that Benson’s unwillingness to admit what he had done had led to the no contest plea agreement.

But Legg noted Benson admitted to “touching the girls” during an interview with state police investigators at the time of his arrest on October 2013.

A request by the defense attorney to allow Benson to report for his sentence until after the Thanksgiving holiday was denied by Judge Seamans.

“He’s been on bail for a long, long time,” the judge said.

Others sentenced Thursday in the Susquehanna County Court of Common Pleas included:

Chris A Brown, 33, of Montrose, to 12 months probation to run concurrent to Wyoming County sentence, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia on June 20, 2013 in Springville Twp. Brown also received 4 to 18 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility to run concurrent to Wyoming County sentence and sentence above, pay restitution to the Susquehanna County Task Force, perform 25 hours community service for Manufacture, Delivery or Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Manufacture or Deliver in Auburn Twp. on Feb. 15, 2013.

Douglas William Gumaer, 42, of Nicholson, to 30 days to 6 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility for Driving Under the Influence in Lenox Twp. on Nov. 9, 2013.

Daniel James Riley, 21, of Kirkwood, N.Y. to 3 to 15 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility, perform 50 hours community service, receive a sexual offenders evaluation, not to have contact with persons under the age of 18, not to have contact with the victim in this case, not to possess firearms for Corruption of a Minor in Forest Lake Twp. on Jan. 25.

Tyler John Freeman, 20, of Montrose, to 5 to 10 years in a state correctional facility followed by 5 years probation, for Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse in Oakland Twp. on June 1, 2013.

Benjamin Paul Conrad, 31, of Uniondale, to 12 months probation, for Simple Assault in Herrick Twp. on Dec. 31, 2013. Conrad also received 12 months probation to run concurrent to the above sentence, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia in Herrick Twp. on Jan. 3.

Shane Roy Kelley, 43, of Montrose, to 90 days to 12 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility for Driving Under the Influence in Auburn Twp. on June 21.

Robert Curtis Sellitto, 29, of Montrose, to 30 days to 6 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility for Driving Under Influence in New Milford Twp. on Oct. 27, 2013.

Diana Sena, 43, of Montrose, to 5 days to 6 months in Susquehanna County Correctional for Driving Under the Influence in Silver Lake Twp. on Oct. 8, 2013.

Zach Philip Larue, 22, of Kingsley, to 2 to 5 years in a state correctional facility followed by 2 years probation for Homicide by Vehicle in Lenox Twp. on Sept. 2, 2013. Larue also received 7 years probation to run consecutive to the above sentence, perform 150 for Aggravated Assault by Vehicle in Lenox Twp. on Sept. 2, 2013.

Frank Aloysius Brannon Jr., 31, of Montrose, to 2-1/2 to 16 years in a state correctional facility, pay restitution to the victims for Criminal Conspiracy/Burglary throughout Susquehanna County.

Joshua Daniel Calby, 32, of Montrose, to 5 years to 10 years in a state correctional facility, for Criminal Conspiracy/Burglary throughout Susquehanna County.

Albert Gibbs, 30 of Scranton, to 18 months probation, pay restitution to the victims for Theft by Unlawful Taking in Forest City Borough on April 24, 2013.