Sex offender’s family speaks on his sentencing

By DORIS COOK - Staff Writer
Star Beacon

October 05, 2008 01:44 am

— JEFFERSON — Emma Candela of Ashtabula, the ex-wife of convicted sex offender, Louis Candela, spoke out publicly Friday after his sentence hearing before Common Pleas Judge Gary Yost. Holding back tears, the mother and grandmother said, “I don’t think the sentence was long enough for what he did to me, my daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
Emma Candela said that for years she trusted her ex-husband not believing he was capable of molesting family members. The investigation by law enforcement officials and the Ashtabula County Children Services took more than a year before the Ashtabula County prosecutor office got an indictment 15 months ago.
“He tore my family apart. We didn’t know or realize what he did to the children,” she said tearfully adding the family including young victims are being helped through counseling.
A grown grandchild assaulted as a youngster, Rhonda Massena, stated she finally reported the suspicious criminal acts to Ashtabula County Children Services investigators.
“I knew he was still doing it. I’m not afraid to be identified now and speak the truth,” Massena said. She had suspicions Candela was still abusing younger step-grandchildren and decided to step forward.
“There were rumors of what he was doing. No one wanted to speak up or believe it. I finally stepped forward. Now I can move on. He (Candela) was finally caught,” Massena said.