Ex-officer sentenced to 10-12 years for rape

On February 25, 2009, Judge Janet Kenton-Walker sentenced a former Rutland, MA police officer to 10-12 years imprisonment and 5 years probation for sexually assaulting a prostitute in the fall of 2008. 37 year old Jason Briddon was officially sentenced after a jury conviction, to the prison term for aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, and assault for the rape.

The 30-year-old victim in the case testified that Mr. Briddon repeatedly raped and beat her and held her against her will on the morning of Oct. 9, 2008, after she agreed to engage in a sex act with him for money to support her crack cocaine addiction.

She said the assaults and kidnapping took place in the basement of a house at 178 Burncoat St. that was owned by a friend of Mr. Briddon.

Assistant District Attorney Paula J. Frasso was hoping for a 25 to 30 year sentenced and the aggravated rape and kidnapping charges to run consecutively, calling the attack predatory and pre-planned. Though a streetwalker, “she didn’t deserve what happened to her,” said Frasso in her closing arguments.
 
In her victim impact statement, the victim told the court that “He showed no mercy to me and the court would be wise in showing none to him."
 
Describing his client as a hard-working family man with no prior criminal record, Mr. Briddon’s lawyer, Christopher P. LoConto, recommended a sentence of 5 years to 5 years and a day.

Mr. Briddon made a personal plea for leniency, telling the court he “saved lives” as a police officer and always provided for his family. He called his convictions a “miscarriage of justice.”

Wendy Briddon, his wife and the mother of his two children, asked the judge to keep in mind that her husband was “somebody’s father.” “He’s been a wonderful son,” said Mr. Briddon’s mother, Carol Briddon.

Judge Kenton-Walker said that the brutal attack by Briddon not only physically injured the victim, but also caused “severe emotional and psychological trauma which continues to this day.” Factors used to arrive at her sentence included “punishment, deterrence, protection of the public and rehabilitation.”

Briddon's probation conditions include sex offender treatment and registration, no contact with the victim or her family, GPS monitoring, undergoing any other treatment deemed appropriate, and no weapon posession.

Briddon is facing charges that he raped a 29 year old woman who rode home with him from a bar. A mistrial was declared last year after a hung jury.