Woonsocket man sentenced to 18 years in state prison on child molestation charges
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that a Woonsocket man has been sentenced in Providence County Superior Court serve 18 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) after pleading to sexually assaulting a female victim under the age of 14 between 2002 and 2005.
At a hearing on March 28, 2023, Kent Prokopy (age 59) entered a plea of nolo contendere to one count of first-degree child molestation.
At the hearing, Superior Court Justice Joseph A. Montalbano sentenced the defendant 40 years, with 18 years to serve at the ACI, a 22-year suspended sentence, and 40 years of probation.
The defendant was ordered by the Court to register as a sex offender, complete sex offender counseling, and is subject to community supervision. The court also issued a No Contact Order between the defendant and his victim.
“This victim bravely decided to report the assaults committed against her, decades later, in the hopes that she could stop the defendant from harming others, showing great courage and selflessness along the way,” said Attorney General Neronha. “While nothing can undo the pain caused to the defendant, it is my hope that his conviction and the lengthy sentence of imprisonment he now faces will bring a measure of justice for the victim, while demonstrating that it is never too late for justice to be served. I am grateful to the victim for her bravery and to the men and women of the Woonsocket Police Department for their outstanding work.”
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that between 2002 and 2005, the defendant sexually assaulted a female child victim under the age of 14, who was known to him, at the victim’s home in Woonsocket.
In August 2020, the victim disclosed the assaults to the Texas County Sheriff’s Department in Missouri, leading to an investigation by the Woonsocket Police Department.
During his plea hearing, the defendant admitted his guilt in a prewritten statement read to the Court by his attorney.
“Sexual assaults against minors have a devastating effect on the victims and their families,” said Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas F. Oates III. “Individuals involved in such crimes always be priority targets of investigations of the Woonsocket Police Department, and we thank the Attorney General’s Office and the Texas County Sheriff’s Department in Missouri for their commitment to bringing the defendant to justice.”
Detective Anthony Conetta of the Woonsocket Police Department and Special Assistant Attorneys General Amanda Jacober and Taylor Matook of the Office of the Attorney General led the investigation and prosecution of the case.
Vice President Harris is receiving the endorsement of Barack and Michelle Obama in the Democratic race for president. The former president and first lady released a video this morning showing Vice President Harris speaking on the phone with both of them. In a joint statement announcing the endorsement, the Obamas said, "There is no doubt in our mind that Kamala Harris has exactly what it takes to win this election and deliver for the American people." 
