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Waldorf resident Joseph John Bonaiuto was sentenced by a judge to eight years in prison after physically, mentally, and sexually abusing his significant other for hours, according to the state's attorney's office.
On Dec. 26, 2023, officers were called to Bonaiuto's Waldorf residence to conduct a welfare check after receiving a call from his brother stating that he was holding a woman hostage, and upon arrival, she opened the door and "appeared to have been crying before their arrival."
Investigators spoke to Bonaiuto, who stated that he had previously pointed a gun at both his head and the woman's head.
The subsequent probe into the incident determined that on Christmas Day, Bonaiuto and his victim were inside the home when he became frustrated with his wife.
He went on to take a walk, then retreated to his bedroom to retrieve a gun, which he unloaded, put to his head, and pulled the trigger, prosecutors said.
He then went downstairs with the unloaded firearm, pointed it at the woman and pulled the trigger, after ordering her to get on her knees.
"Bonaiuto asked the victim if she was scared of him; the victim replied 'yes,'" prosecutors stated. "He then put the firearm to the victim’s head and pulled the trigger. Bonaiuto dropped the firearm after the victim flinched."
Shortly after that assault, Bonaiuto forced the woman to preform a sexual act on him.
"During the assault, Bonaiuto let the victim have breaks to cry, blow her nose, and get a drink," investigators said.
After the assault, Bonaiuto and the victim eventually went to sleep, with him in the bedroom and her on the couch.
The following day, Bonaiuto drove to the courthouse to obtain divorce paperwork, stopping at his daughter's place to share some of the details.
She then reported the assault to Bonaiuto's brother, who called the police.
Bonaiuto admitted to officers that he assaulted the victim over the course of hours and told them that he was being a “disgusting degenerate to her” and treated her “as badly as she deserved to be treated in that moment”.
Bonaiuto pleaded guilty in June to first-degree assault and fourth-degree sexual offense.
During sentencing, the Assistant State’s Attorney assigned to the case asked that Bonaiuto be sentenced to 20 years in prison with an additional 6 years suspended due to “the gravity of the offense," adding that he "needs to be held accountable for his actions” and that the victim did not deserve to be treated in the “inhuman, cruel, violent, self-serving manner."
In addition to his prison time, Bonaiuto was ordered to serve supervised probation for five years when he is released and will have to register as a Tier I sex offender for 15 years.
"For hours upon hours (the victim) was abused by you," Judge Carrington Martin said before Bonaiuto's sentencing. "The consequences of your actions, regardless of the sentence, is you hurt her."
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