CT man sentenced to 15 years for sexual assault of two children under 10

An East Haven man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting two children under the age of 10 years old, officials said.

Lawrence Maenza, 45, appeared in court in New Haven on Tuesday and was sentenced by Judge Eliot D. Prescott to 15 years behind bars and 15 years of sex offender probation following his release, according to a statement from New Haven State’s Attorney John P. Doyle, Jr.

Maenza will also be required to register as a sex offender for life.

Maenza reportedly assaulted two children, both younger than 10, in different locations across New Haven and Hartford Counties, officials said.

Maenza was arrested by members of the New Haven Police Department in January 2022 in connection with sexual assault allegations dating back to October 2020, according to court records.

He was arrested again three months later by the Wethersfield Police Department for similar allegations dating back to August 2011, court records show.

The cases of both child victims were consolidated into a joint trial. In February, a jury found Maenza guilty of two counts of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of risk of injury to a minor, according to officials.