WASHINGTON, September 23 (RIA Novosti) – A husband and wife from Massachusetts were handed prison terms Monday that could see them locked up for 20 years after they were convicted of raping their adopted son and daughter from Kazakhstan, local media reported.
Joseph Mayotte, 50, was sentenced to 16 to 20 years in prison for repeatedly raping his adopted daughter, starting when she was 8 years old, the Milford Daily News reported. His wife Linda Mayotte, 49, was sentenced to 18 to 22 years in prison for raping the couple’s adopted son, according to the report.
The children were adopted by the Mayottes in 2004. Five years later, the couple was arrested after their adopted son reported to police that his mother had abused him.
Joseph Mayotte was found guilty last month on 11 counts of abusing the couple’s adopted daughter for nearly five years. His wife was found guilty at the same hearing on 18 counts of abusing the couple’s adopted son for two years, beginning when he was 13 years old.
During the couple’s trial this summer, Linda Mayotte said her adopted son repeatedly raped her, not the other way around. Joseph Mayotte said he “never, never” raped his daughter.
The husband and wife, who have been in police custody since last month, will serve their sentences in separate prisons in different towns in Massachusetts.
It is unclear when either will be eligible for parole, and there was no information as to what would happen to the children.
