NORTHAMPTON — The second trial of a former Easthampton man facing multiple child rape charges in Hampshire Superior Court ended in a mistrial shortly after it began Tuesday morning.
Kevin DiRocco, 44, who now lives in Springfield, was charged in October 2015 with aggravated rape and abuse of a child, two counts of rape and abuse of a child, and seven counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.
He is accused of sexually assaulting two girls he knew in Easthampton between 1998 and 2009. The assaults took place when the alleged victims were between 3 or 4 years old and ended when they were 13 or 14, according to court documents.
The Gazette generally does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.
DiRocco was found not guilty of an additional charge of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 at his first trial in May 2017. A jury, which deliberated for 10 hours over two days, was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the remaining charges and a mistrial was declared.
After three days of jury selection for the second trial, opening arguments began Tuesday morning with Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Caleb Weiner and defense attorneys Rachel Weber addressing the jury about the evidence they planned to introduce throughout the course of the trial.
At some point that morning, Judge Mary-Lou Rup learned of a potential issue involving jurors. She dismissed three jurors after an inquiry. With fewer than 12 jurors remaining — the number needed to decide a Superior Court criminal case — a mistrial was declared, according to Weiner. The mistrial was not attributable to either the Commonwealth or the defendant, according to Weiner.
The case will be retried next month in front of Judge John Agostini, who heard the first trial last year.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.