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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, September 21, 2006

10 years for sex assault of boy

By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer

An 'Aina Haina man was sentenced to 10 years in jail yesterday for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy after luring the child into bed through the online Web journal MySpace.

Joseph Colasacco, 30, was convicted of five counts of sex assault in the second degree, one count of sex assault in the third degree, three counts of electronic enticement of a child in the first degree and four counts of promoting pornography to a minor. Colasacco had no prior arrests or criminal history.

He was arrested in February after the 14-year-old's stepfather found him in bed with the boy with a pornographic DVD playing on a television and pornographic magazines scattered about his room.

Colasacco snuck into the boy's house that night and was discovered after the child's stepfather heard the DVD playing while closing a window downstairs.

"Obviously we think children should not be victimized by adults, and the Legislature protects our children, and it is up to the adults to step forward and take responsibility for their actions, and the court is allowing him to do that," said Deputy City Prosecutor Jean M. Ireton. "I would certainly hope that it sends a message to those who would try to entice children over the Internet."

Colasacco's attorney, Frank Fernandez, did not return a call seeking comment yesterday.

Colasacco has been in custody at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center but will serve his time at the Halawa Correctional Facility.

Colasacco communicated with the boy through MySpace on three separate dates, starting on Jan. 14 when he allegedly met the boy at a movie theater and fondled him.

He also met with the boy again on Feb. 8 through MySpace and gave him pornographic materials, the indictment said.

On Feb. 12, he again communicated with the boy online and gave him two magazines and a DVD showing naked men and sex acts, according to the indictment and a police affidavit.

Colasacco was arrested late Sunday night after the boy's stepfather found him pretending to be asleep on the boy's bed, according to court documents.

The boy told police that Colasacco arrived at the boy's house earlier that night and brought with him the magazines and the DVD, the document said.

The stepfather told police he feared there may have been an "indecent relationship" between Colasacco and the boy, according to the affidavit.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.