Man charged with sexually assaulting 9-year-old girl at nursing home

Dino Carlo Gioia, 77, of New York was charged with third-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a child, second-degree unlawful restraint and breach of peace on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. Fairfield police said he sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl who was visiting her grandparent at a Fairfield nursing home. less Dino Carlo Gioia, 77, of New York was charged with third-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a child, second-degree unlawful restraint and breach of peace on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. Fairfield police said ... more Photo: Fairfield Police Photo Photo: Fairfield Police Photo Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Man charged with sexually assaulting 9-year-old girl at nursing home 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

BRIDGEPORT — A 77-year-old New York man was arrested Thursday after police said he sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl who was visiting her grandparent at a Fairfield nursing home.

Dino Carlo Gioia was charged with third-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a child, second-degree unlawful restraint and breach of peace.

Thursday afternoon, Gioia was brought before Superior Court Judge Tracy Lee Dayton, a judicial marshal supporting him under each arm.

Told by the judge that he will have to stay away from the victim and her family, Gioia responded, “I’m going to stay far away.”

The judge ordered Gioia held in lieu of $100,000 bond “due to the severity of the charges,” and continued the case to Feb. 27.

Fairfield police said they responded to Regal Care of Southport numerous times regarding “sexually involved behavior” by Gioia, who had only been in the nursing home for a month, including complaints that he had touched the intimate parts of dementia patients and exposed himself. In one incident, police said, Gioia was accused of threatening to rape a female patient.

He was not arrested on those incidents.

On Dec. 24, police said the 9-year-old girl was visiting a grandparent at the nursing home with her mother when Gioia took the little girl around the waist, drew her to him and grabbed at her privates, telling her she was beautiful.

The mother yanked her daughter from Gioia’s grasp and reported the incident to nursing staff, police said.

This is the second time in a year that someone has been arrested on sexual assault charges at Regal Care of Southport.

In January 2018, Elias Saldana, 58, a former patient of Regal Care, was charged with sexually assaulting a bedridden non-verbal female patient.