Mayottes are sentenced in child sex case.

• Author: Murray, Gary V.
• Position: News

Byline: Gary V. Murray

WORCESTER -- A judge sentenced a Northbridge woman to 18 to 22 years in prison Monday and her husband to 16 to 20 years for sexually assaulting two children who were in the couple's care.

Linda Mayotte and Joseph Mayotte, both 50 and formerly of 67 Laura Lane, Northbridge, were convicted Aug. 8 of multiple counts of child sexual assault after a jury trial in Worcester Superior Court.

A jury convicted Mrs. Mayotte of initiating a two-year sexual relationship with a boy in the couple's care beginning when he was 13 and ending in 2007, when she became pregnant with the teen's child.

Her husband was found guilty of sexually abusing a girl, also in the couple's care, over a span of nearly five years beginning when she was 8 years old.

Mrs. Mayotte was convicted of three counts of child rape, five counts of indecent assault and battery on a child, five counts of indecent assault and battery, a morals offense, reckless endangerment of a child, intimidation of a witness, resisting arrest and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The gun charge involved a weapon in Mrs. Mayotte's possession at her arrest in 2009.

Mr. Mayotte was found guilty of child rape aggravated by age difference, two counts of child rape, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child, assault with intent to rape, dissemination of matter harmful to a minor, a morals offense, reckless endangerment of a child and improper storage of a firearm.

Judge Richard T. Tucker sentenced Mrs. Mayotte to 18 to 22 years in Framingham state prison Monday after granting her lawyer's request that she first undergo a psychological evaluation to determine her mental competency. Lawyer Laurel A. Singer told the judge she had concerns about whether her client understood the nature of the court proceeding against her. The lawyer said her concerns were based on a conversation she recently had with Mrs. Mayotte at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, where she has remained in custody since an apparent suicide attempt on Aug. 7.

Alan Schonberger, a court-designated forensic psychologist who conducted the evaluation and deemed Mrs. Mayotte competent, made reference to the suicide attempt in his report to the court, saying he was told that Mrs. Mayotte slit her wrists and drank drain cleaner. Mr. Schonberger said it was his opinion Mrs. Mayotte, who...