Waretown man sentenced for guilty plea to child abuse charge

The Waretown man who admitted sexually abusing a preteen for six years is sentenced to 10 years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law.

Frederic B. Whitehead, 45, has been incarcerated since his arrest on July 1, 2013. The 10-year sentence applies to one first-degree count of aggravated sexual assault. A concurrent eight-year term was issued for a second-degree count of sexual assault.

Whitehead is also ordered to serve 85 percent of his term before parole consideration under the No Early Release Act, undergo lifetime parole supervision, and refrain from contact with the victim under terms of Nicole's Law. He entered a guilty plea on February 1 of this year.

Investigators from County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato's office and Waretown said that the contact occurred in Waretown between May 2006, when the victim was six years of age, and August 2012, when the victim ws 12.

Prosecutors sought 13 years for the first-degree charge with eight concurrent years for the lesser count. The defense requested 10 years, with five concurrent.