An Iowa District Court judge sentenced 46-year-old Illinois resident Robert J. D’Amico to 50 years in prison on Tuesday for the sexual abuse of three children. D’Amico, who was convicted in April on multiple counts, will be required to serve at least 70% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole under Iowa’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws.
### Sentencing Details and Conviction
District Judge Paul Miller handed down the sentence in Johnson County, Iowa, following a jury trial that concluded earlier this spring. According to court records, the jury found D’Amico guilty of multiple counts of sexual abuse involving three victims, all of whom were under the age of 12 at the time the crimes occurred. The abuse took place over a seven-year period, according to evidence presented by the Johnson County Attorney’s Office.
Under Iowa law, sexual abuse in the second degree carries significant mandatory prison terms. The prosecution successfully argued that the nature and duration of the offenses warranted consecutive sentences, resulting in the 50-year term. D’Amico will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life upon any eventual release.
### Legal Context of the Case
The case was prosecuted by the Johnson County Attorney’s Office, which emphasized the long-term impact of the abuse on the victims. During the sentencing hearing, victim impact statements were read into the record, detailing the trauma experienced by the children.
Iowa’s sentencing guidelines for crimes against minors are among the most stringent in the state. Because these crimes involved children under the age of 12, the court applied “70% statutes,” which prohibit early release for the majority of the sentence. This ensures that offenders convicted of specific violent or predatory crimes serve a substantial portion of their time in custody before the Iowa Board of Parole can consider a release application.
### Procedural Next Steps
D’Amico has the right to appeal the conviction and the sentence to the Iowa Court of Appeals. Defense counsel typically has 30 days from the date of the sentencing order to file a notice of appeal. As of Tuesday, no filings indicating an intent to appeal had been entered into the public docket.
The defendant will remain in the custody of the Iowa Department of Corrections. He is expected to be transferred from the Johnson County Jail to an intake facility within the state prison system to begin serving his sentence.
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