Crystal River man sentenced to life on sexual offenses against minors
Dipilla was arrested on Oct. 31, 2019 by Detective Jonathan Richey with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) Special Victim's Unit, when a girl, between the ages of 12 and 16, disclosed that she'd been sexually abused by Dipilla on incidents that had occurred between June and Oct. 10 of 2019.
Detective Richey, in cooperation with the CCSO Child Protection Team and the State Attorney's Office, obtained further evidence to support the victim's allegations, and learned that three additional juveniles also alleged sexual abuse by Dipilla. On Nov. 4, 2019, Dipilla, who was still in custody from his Oct. 31 arrest, was arrested on additional charges.
During his Nov. 5, 2020 court hearing, Dipilla was found guilty on 2 counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under the age of 12, 2 counts of sexual battery of a juvenile older than 12, 2 counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under the age of 16, and 2 counts of showing obscene material to a minor. Judge Ric Howard sentenced Dipilla to four 40-year sentences, two fifteen-year sentences, and two five-year sentences to be served concurrently (at the same time).
"The victims in this case showed great bravery in coming forward about their abuse," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "I hope these brave victims will serve as an example for anyone else dealing with this type of horrific abuse and show them that it is safe for them to speak up and tell someone. This one victim helped end the suffering of three others."