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White Plains resident John Fraioli, age 35, a former New Rochelle High School teacher, pleaded guilty in October last year to criminal sexual act and rape after assaulting his teenage victim on more than one occasion inside the school building in 2019.
At the time of the sexual assaults, his victim was a student at the high school, where Fraioli was a teacher.
On Tuesday, Jan. 26, Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced that Fraioli has been sentenced to six months of shock incarceration with 10 years of sex offender probation. He will also surrender his New York State teacher license and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Fraioli was first arrested by New Rochelle Police investigators after he engaged in sexual activity with the student in the high school building in May 2019. Officials said he later continued to sexually abuse his victim in his White Plains home and was arrested by the White Plains Police Department in November that year.
Fraioli resigned from his teaching position in New Rochelle prior to his arrest.
"Even though I logically know I'm not to blame I still spent most days wondering if I could have done something different," his victim said in an impact statement. I've had so many days, months, almost two years now wasted on unnecessary feelings of guilt, shame, and embarrassment over something that wasn't my fault.”
The victim's mother also issued a statement that noted the positive impact of teachers in her own life and said that teachers are meant to support, encourage and empower students, adding that Fraioli did the opposite for her daughter.
"You stripped her of hope. You took full advantage of her vulnerability," she said. "You manipulated her. You used her. You preyed upon her…. My only hope is that in time she will be able to overcome the abuse you inflicted. My biggest fear is that she may not."
Rocah added: "It is truly disturbing that someone we trusted to protect and care for our children instead did such terrible harm, and the statements from the victim and her mother make clear the extreme and long-lasting impact of this abuse."
Fraioli is scheduled to appear back in court in May, where his sex offender risk level will be determined.
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