TOMMASO RASETTI SENTENCED IN SOUTHAMPTON FOR CHILD INDECENCY OFFENSES

Tommaso Rasetti, a 42-year-old from Harwood Close, Totton, engaged in sending sexual messages to a teenage girl through the online messaging app Kik. He even mentioned creating a group called Southampton Cross Dressing. However, it was revealed that Rasetti was communicating with a police officer posing as a minor. Prosecution barrister Richard Cherrill stated that when Rasetti was arrested and questioned, he initially denied having been chatting with a child. However, electronic device examinations uncovered a total of 51 indecent images.

Rasetti appeared before Southampton Crown Court charged with multiple offenses, including attempting to communicate with a person under 16 for sexual gratification, attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, and making and distributing indecent images of a child. He pleaded guilty to these charges, which occurred in the summer of 2019, during an earlier court hearing.

Defence lawyer Ellie Fargin emphasized that her client would benefit from intervention, stating, “He of course accepts this was a child and it was wrong.” Ms. Fargin also noted that the offences were relatively brief and occurred during a turbulent period in Rasetti’s life. The court was informed that Rasetti had since withdrawn from the Nursing and Midwifery Council and secured a new job.

The defence argued for a suspended sentence, highlighting the potential for rehabilitation. In sentencing, Judge Peter Henry sentenced Rasetti to six months in jail, suspended for two years. Additionally, Rasetti is required to complete 31 sessions on an accredited sex offender program, ten days of rehabilitation activities, and 150 hours of unpaid work. He will also be registered as a sex offender for seven years and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order.