HGTV's Christopher Dionne Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison For Molesting Daughter's Friend, 10
Minor told police he groped her and then ordered her not to tell her mom.
Dec. 13 2019, Updated 7:44 p.m. ET
Christopher Dionne has been sentenced to three years in prison for molesting a 10-year-old girl.
The former disgraced HGTV star, 37, who starred on Family Flip, groped his daughter's friend in November 2017 at his Connecticut home.
The girl, now 13, accused the reality star of assaulting her and then ordering her "not to tell her mom."
Dionne has maintained his innocence and is expected to appeal his conviction for fourth-degree sexual assault and risk of injury in a New London, CT court.
The victim testified during the trial that she was best friends with his daughter and had been sleeping over at their house when the assault took place.
She accused Dionne of molesting her twice while both of his children, then 10-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son, slept in the same room.
According to the victim, Dionne had tasked her to touch his genitals before saying "don't tell your mom, I'll go to jail and my daughter wont' have a daddy."
In the second incident, the victim testified that Dionne put his hands under her pajama pants and grabbed her breasts as she slept on her stomach.
In court, the prosecutor presented evidence showing thatDionne's DNA was foundin the inner waistband of the girl's pajamas.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Dionne's twin brother, Michael, was "heart broken" after learning the news.
“He loves his brother,” the insider told RadarOnline.com at the time. “His heart is broken.”
Christopher turned himself into police on Jan. 29, 2019 and was arrested on charges of fourth-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.
After he was arrested, Dionne spoke of the incident saying that he did sit down next to the young victim on the couch when he was asleep, but he did not inappropriately touch her.
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