Com. v. Ricci, M.

Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided August 7, 2023·No. 1308 MDA 2022·Unpublished

Opinion

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT OP 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA

:

v. :

:

:

MICHAEL GEORGE RICCI :

:

Appellant : No. 1308 MDA 2022

Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered August 23, 2022 In the Court of Common Pleas of Cumberland County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-21-CR-0000723-2021

BEFORE: PANELLA, P.J., BENDER, P.J.E., and McCAFFERY, J. MEMORANDUM BY McCAFFERY, J.: FILED: AUGUST 7, 2023 Michael George Ricci (Appellant) appeals from the judgment of sentence entered in the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas after his jury convictions of one count each of corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor, and two counts of indecent assault.1 On appeal, Appellant argues the trial court abused its discretion when it granted, following closing arguments, the Commonwealth’s oral motion to amend the information as to unlawful contact, from Subsection 6318(a)(5) (child pornography) to Subsection 6318(a)(1) (sexual offenses). After review, we affirm the judgment of sentence, but remand to the trial court for correction of a clerical

118 Pa.C.S. §§ 6301(a)(1)(ii), 6318(a)(1), 3126(a)(1), 3126(a)(8) (victim under 16 years of age), respectively.

error, as Appellant’s record continues to reflect a conviction under Subsection 6318(a)(5).

We first note: to commit unlawful contact under Subsection 6318(a)(1), a party must have intentional contact with a minor for the purpose of engaging in a sexual offense listed under Chapter 31, which includes indecent assault. See 18 Pa.C.S. § 6318(a)(1); see also 18 Pa.C.S. § 3126(a)(1), (8). To commit unlawful contact under Subsection 6318(a)(5), a person must have intentional contact with a minor relating to the creation, dissemination, and possession of child pornography. See 18 Pa.C.S. § 6318(a)(5); see also 18 Pa.C.S. § 6312 (relating to child pornography).

On July 31, 2020, Cumberland County Child & Youth Services (CYS)

received an anonymous phone call disclosing then 14-year-old O.S. (Victim) raised allegations of abuse against Appellant, her stepfather.2 See N.T. Jury Trial at 52. After CYS received this phone call, Children’s Resource Center Forensic Interviewer Megan Leader spoke with Victim about the accusations. Id. at 54.

On October 16, 2020, the Pennsylvania State Police filed both a criminal complaint and affidavit of probable cause. The complaint stated he was charged with, inter alia, unlawful contact under Section 6318(a), but did not

2 Victim was born in November of 2005. N.T. Jury Trial, 5/17/22, at 65. Victim’s older half-sister, H.C., testified at trial that she made the phone call to ChildLine, who then contacted CYS. Id. at 52, 110.

specify any further subsection, i.e. (a)(1) or (a)(5).3 Police Criminal Complaint, 10/16/20, at 2. Nevertheless, the supporting factual allegation was that Appellant “corrupt[ed] the morals of [V]ictim by touching her vagina with his finger, making inappropriate comments about [V]ictim’s body[,] and inappropriately rubbing his body against [her].” Id. The accompanying affidavit of probable cause did not list any offenses or criminal statutes, but stated Appellant was accused of “inappropriately touch[ing]” Victim. See Affidavit of Probable Cause, 10/16/20, at 1.

On March 15, 2021, the trial court held a preliminary hearing.4 On May 21st, the police filed a criminal information, which charged Appellant with unlawful conduct under Subsection (a)(5), relating to the creation, dissemination, and possession of child pornography. Criminal Information, 5/21/21, at 2 (unpaginated); see 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 6318(a)(5), 6312. The information did not allege the underlying conduct for this charge, nor was Appellant charged with any child pornography offenses under Section 6312. See id.

This matter proceeded to a jury trial on May 17, 2022, where the parties presented the following evidence. The Commonwealth called Victim, who

testified that starting when she was 13 or 14 years old, Appellant made

3 We note the complaint specified the subsections of Appellant’s remaining charges. Police Criminal Complaint at 2.

4 Upon informal inquiry of this panel, the trial court did not possess a copy of the preliminary hearing transcript.

“comments [to her] and [did] things that [made her] feel uncomfortable[.]” N.T. Jury Trial at 70. This behavior lasted about six months. Id. at 82. Appellant’s comments included that “if [Victim is] anything like [her] mom[, she] will have . . . a good body[,]” she was “developing well[,]” her “butt and . . . boobs . . . were nice[,]” and he “want[ed]” her to wear “Daisy Duke[ ] shorts[.]” Id. at 70-71, 80. Victim also stated that when she was 14, Appellant “started . . . asking what kind of underwear [she] had on, . . . pulling [her] shirt forward [to] look down the front[,]” and “putting his hands . . . down the side of [her] pants.” Id. at 72. Victim estimated that Appellant asked her about her underwear about 20 times and what kind of bra she was wearing a “couple” times. Id. at 73, 77. Victim testified that in response to these comments, she would walk away, change the topic, or ask Appellant to stop “[b]ecause it made [her] uncomfortable.” Id. at 72, 75, 77.

Victim testified Appellant also touched her back under her shirt up to “her bra strap” and “one time[, he] took his finger and . . . flipped up the front of [her] vagina” while she was wearing shorts. N.T. Jury Trial at 75, 77. Lastly, Victim detailed that Appellant “rub[bed] up against [her leg and hip] sometimes” with his “penis and . . . legs” while clothed. Id. at 78-79.

Victim’s older half-sister H.C. then testified that beginning around April or May of 2020, Victim had “multiple” conversations with her regarding

Appellant’s behavior.5 N.T. Jury Trial at 109-11. She stated Victim texted her

5 H.C. was 19 at the time of trial.

that Appellant “put his hand up her shorts, [told] her she was developing extremely well, [and made] her sit in his lap and [Victim] could feel [his] erection.” Id. at 110.

The Commonwealth also presented Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Krista Miller, the investigating officer in this matter. Appellant asked if Trooper Miller obtained any physical evidence during the investigation, to which she responded “[t]here wouldn’t have been any physical evidence to . . . obtain based on the allegations.” N.T. Jury Trial at 61. She further explained that “based on the allegations, even with touching, clothes can be laundered[, and] your body can be washed . . . so even swabbing them would not be able to determine” whether there was any prior touching. Id. at 62-63.

Appellant, represented by Sean M. Owen, Esquire (Trial Counsel), testified in his defense that he never made inappropriate comments or touched Victim sexually. N.T. Jury Trial at 171-72, 174, 177. He stated he was “affectionate” with all his children, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.6 Id. at 172. Appellant detailed that “[s]ometimes” before leaving for work in the morning, he would be tired and go into Victim’s or M.R.’s bedrooms and “lay beside them” while talking about their chores, but he did not do anything sexual. See id. at 173-74. He testified that as the father,

6 Appellant has two biological children, Victim’s younger half-siblings, M.R. and E.R., who were 14 and 5 at the time of trial, respectively. N.T. Jury Trial at 66-67, 178-79. M.R. and E.R. lived in the home with Victim, Appellant, and Victim’s mother at the time of the alleged conduct. Id. at 166.

he is “allowed to do that.” Id. Appellant also admitted to “snuggl[ing]” Victim and his other children, but he did not think he was doing anything inappropriate. Id. at 179, 185.

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