The former host of an HGTV remodeling pilot has been convicted of molesting his daughter’s ten-year-old best friend in his Connecticut home.
Christopher Dionne was convicted Wednesday of risk of injury to a minor and fourth-degree sexual assault, a New London Superior Court official told People magazine.
Dionne is expected to be released on a $100,000 bond while awaiting sentencing on December 11.
HGTV said in a statement on Friday that Dionne appeared in a show that ran for one episode.
“The individual you reference appeared in a pilot that premiered on our network in 2015,” HGTV told Fox News. “The pilot was not picked up for series.”
The show, titled Family Flip, aired one episode in 2015.
Dionne’s victim— who is now 12 years old— testified during the trial that she was best friends with Dionne’s daughter at the time of the assault. She was on the same soccer team as Dionne’s daughter and had regular sleepovers at Dionne’s house.
The victim claimed she was touched inappropriately while at a birthday sleepover at Dionne’s house in November 2017, when he woke her up around 1:30 a.m. and placed his hand against her buttocks under her pajamas.
She then said Dionne forced his hand under her bra and moved her chest, allegedly taking a picture of her using his phone.
Dionne reportedly asked the girl if she wanted to see his genitals.
“Are you a big girl or a little girl?” Dionne asked the ten-year-old, adding, “If you tell your mom, I’ll go to jail and (my daughter) won’t have a daddy.”
When she refused Dionne’s advances, he went back to his room.
A similar incident took place in September 2017 when Dionne asked the girl if she wanted to kiss his private parts.
The friendship between Dionne’s daughter and the victim ended after the alleged assault.
A&E suspended production on a series Dionne was set to appear in after learning of the allegations, NBC Connecticut reported.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.