FORMER HGTV HOST FOUND GUILTY OF MOLESTING DAUGHTER’S 10-YEAR-OLD BEST FRIEND: REPORT

October 19, 2019
Mariah Haas
Fox News
 

Christopher Dionne, a former host of an HGTV remodeling pilot, has been found guilty of molesting a 10-year-old girl in his Connecticut home, according to a report.

A New London Superior Court official told People magazine that Dionne, 37, was convicted of risk of injury to a minor and fourth-degree sexual assault on Wednesday.

Per the outlet, he was expected to be released on a $100,000 bond and be sentenced Dec. 11.

In a statement to Fox News on Friday, HGTV said: "The individual you reference appeared in a pilot that premiered on our network in 2015. The pilot was not picked up for series."

Per People, Dionne’s show, titled "Family Flip," ran for one episode in 2015.

According to People, Dionne's victim -- who is now 12 -- testified during the trial that she was best friends with Dionne's daughter at the time of the assault. Per the outlet, "she and Dionne's daughter were on the same soccer team and had regular sleepovers at each other's houses."

Per People -- citing the arrest warrant application -- Dionne's victim claimed that in November 2017, she was at a birthday sleepover at his home when he inappropriately touched her -- waking her up in the early hours of the morning by placing his hand against her buttocks inside her pajamas.

She said he also later reached his hand under her bra, jiggled her chest, and allegedly took a photo of her on his phone, the outlet reported.

Per People, Dionne's victim said she was molested twice, several hours apart. Dionne's two children -- a 14-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter -- were in the room sleeping while it happened, People reported.

According to the outlet, during the assault, Dionne asked the girl if she wanted to see his genitals, asking her, “Are you a big girl or a little girl?” and telling her, “If you tell your mom, I’ll go to jail and (my daughter) won’t have a daddy.”

She refused his advances and Dionne went back to his room, reported People. According to the outlet, this wasn't the first time Dionne assaulted the child. People reports that a similar incident -- Dionne asking the girl if she wanted to kiss his genitals -- occurred in September.

A&E previously told NBC Connecticut that the network had suspended production on a new show they were working on with Dionne.

In a statement to Fox News on Friday, a rep for A&E said: "He was never a host on the channel and nothing he filmed was ever aired."

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/former-hgtv-host-found-guilty-molesting-daughter-10-year-old-best-friend-report

 

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