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Former Norristown Attorney Convicted Of Raping Client Gets Lengthy Prison Sentence

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) --  A long-time Norristown attorney and son of a late superior court judge has been sentenced to at least a decade in prison for raping a client after a night of drinking at her West Norriton apartment.

Vincent Cirillo addressed the court for more than hour, a rambling statement that started with criticism of the victim's ex-boyfriend and included the challenges of living in his father's shadow. Cirillo told the court he is ashamed in how he has disgraced the Cirillo name.

Handing down a sentence of 10-30 years in state prison, Judge Steven O'Neill said it was difficult to listen to Cirillo's version of events, that while he expressed he was sorry, the judge says he isn't sure Cirillo has any concept of the impact of his crime on the victim.

Prosecutor Stew Ryan called Cirillo's verbal attack of the victim "filth and garbage."

"There's just no place for it in society, but the defendant at the same time has demonstrated repeatedly that he doesn't deserve to be part of our society," Ryan said. "I don't have words to describe the sort of things that he said, and he's deserving of every day that the judge gave him."

Cirillo's attorney, Nino Tinari, says he thought the sentence was harsher than needed.

"We accept it, we don't like it," Tinai said, "and we'll go forward with the appeal."

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