SNOW HILL — A Berlin man, convicted in September on two counts of second-degree rape of a child, was sentenced last week to life in prison with all but 30 years suspended and will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
In September, Keith Mariani, 61, of was found guilty by a Worcester County Circuit Court judge of two counts of second-degree rape for the sexual abuse of a child at his home over a two-year period beginning in 2017. Back in court last Thursday, Mariani was sentenced to life in prison for one count of second-degree rape with all but 15 years suspended, and an additional 15 years for the second conviction of second-degree rape.
The Worcester County Circuit Court judge ordered the two sentences to be served consecutively and without the possibility of parole, meaning Mariani will serve a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in the Division of Corrections. In addition, Mariani will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
Keith Mariani
The charges stem from a complaint of child sexual abuse received by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office in February. The Worcester County Child Advocacy Center, or Cricket Center, along with Child Protective Services began a joint investigation that revealed from 2017 through February 2019, Mariani had repeatedly sexually abused a child at his home in Berlin.
Investigators recovered photographs and videos of Mariani engaging in the sexual abuse of the minor after a search warrant was executed on his three cell phones. According to a release, Mariani’s cell phones also contained vast quantities of child pornography involving unidentified victims.
Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser commended the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, the Cricket Center, Life Crisis and Detective Martin for their tireless work on the investigation and thanked Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Dean, who prosecuted the case and secured the sentence for Mariani.
“The Office of the State’s Attorney is committed to holding offenders accountable, especially those who target the most vulnerable in our community,” she said. “I am proud of the team that brought Mariani to justice and prevented him from further victimizing children and we will continue to remain diligent in our efforts to keep Worcester County safe from all predators.”
The mission of the Cricket Center is to create a community response in which abusers are held accountable and children and families experience hope and healing. The multi-disciplinary team is made up of law enforcement officers, child protective service personnel, prosecutors, lawyers, advocates, mental health therapists and medical personnel. Those who wish to learn more, or to report suspected child abuse, are urged to contact 410-641-0097.
