Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Five Counts of Sexual Assault Against a Vermont Minor

A 58-year old Manchester man plead guilty to five counts of sexual assault against a minor in Vermont Superior Court Monday, according to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office.

Philip Grasso, 58, of Manchester, plead guilty to five charges of sexual assault Monday during the jury selection process. According to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, Grasso plead guilty to two counts of lewd or lascivious conduct with a child, two counts of lewd and lascivious conduct, and sexual assault of a minor.

According to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, Grasso sexually assaulted a child under the age of 16 between 1998 and 2003 in Springfield, VT. The offenses occurred during weekend visits to the Vermont area over the same five-year period, according to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office.

Sentencing for Grasso is expected to take place in Vermont Superior Court in White River Junction in six weeks time. 

Grasso plead guilty to five counts of similar sexual assault charges in Connecticut last February, according to the Connecticut Judicial website. Those charges, for offenses that occurred in 2003, include two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault against a helpless victim, two counts of risk of injury to a minor and illegal sexual contact with a victim. He does not appear on a search of the Connecticut Sex Offender Registry, however.