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Doctor Gets 33 Years In Prison For Child Porn

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2008

Updated: 11/24/2008 06:17 pm

TAMPA - A Port Richey pain doctor convicted of six charges of possessing and receiving child pornography was sentenced this afternoon to 33 years and 9 months in federal prison.

"I see a deep darkness within you, sir," said U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich, as she ordered Richard Carino, 48, to serve life probation when he is released. "It leads to an abyss. You have hurt so many people. You don't deserve to be out in the community."

Carino's younger sister told the judge her brother repeatedly sexually molested her when they were children. As she grew into a young woman, she said, her brother told her he was only interested in children.

"I have spent thousands of dollars in therapy, but can't undo the damage Richard Carino has done to me and my family," she said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel Moore urged a strong sentence, saying the images Carino had on his computer "depicted sadistic and masochistic behavior, brutal violation of very young children."

Carino's attorney, Charles Medlin, asked that he not be sentenced to more than 10 years and four months in prison. Carino, he said, has been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome and is blind in one eye from an injury he suffered while in the military. In addition, Carino suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, Medlin said.

"My sympathy goes to his sister," the attorney said. "He wasn't convicted of what she alleged."

Investigators say they found images of children as young as 6 on Carino's office and home computers.

He was reported to law enforcement by his then-wife, Autumn, who testified against him at trial.

Carino's medical license has been suspended indefinitely by the Florida Department of Health.

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