Matthew Tucci, a Wayne County man, is facing life in prison for raping a family member was on probation for abusing the same child when police arrested him. He’d been paying his court fees the entire time.

HONESDALE, WAYNE COUNTY — Matthew Tucci made his last probation payment on November 3, 2025. Fifty dollars. Right on time.

Ten days later, Wayne County detectives arrested the 36-year-old White Mills man on 17 charges including rape of a child, incest, and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child.

The victim is 13 years old. She’s the same girl whose abuse sent him to prison four years ago.

She told investigators Tucci resumed abusing her approximately four months after his 2022 release from Lackawanna County Prison—and kept going until November 8, 2025. Five days after that last $50 payment.

When she said no, he’d tell her: “Oh come on, I’ll give you some privileges.”

She has bruises.

Tucci now sits in Wayne County Prison in Honesdale, held on $300,000 bail he cannot post. His formal arraignment is scheduled for January 8, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Wayne County Court of Common Pleas. If convicted on all counts, he faces more than 200 years in prison.

He’ll likely die there—18 years after the courts first learned he was a danger to children.

Three Counties. Two Decades. One Predator.

A Pocono Review investigation of court records in Wayne, Lackawanna, and Monroe counties reveals Matthew Tucci has been convicted of crimes against children twice before. Each time, the system let him walk. Each time, the abuse allegedly continued.

The Wayne County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the pending case. Defense attorney Debra Domenick of Scranton did not respond to requests for comment. Wayne County Adult Probation does not discuss individual cases.

Here’s what the court records show.

2007–2008: Honesdale

Matthew William Tucci first appeared in Wayne County Court at 18 years old.

On August 20, 2007, Wayne County authorities arrested him on charges including indecent assault, corruption of minors, and terroristic threats. Six months later—February 20, 2008—he was arrested again for simple assault.

Both cases went before Judge Raymond L. Hamill in Wayne County Court of Common Pleas in Honesdale.

On June 12, 2008, Tucci pleaded guilty:

• Indecent assault by threat of forcible compulsion (M1): 9–18 months
• Corruption of minors (M1): 3–6 months
• Terroristic threats (M1): 6–12 months
• Unsworn falsification (M2): No further penalty
• Simple assault (M2): 1–12 months

Corruption of minors means the victim was a child. Indecent assault means sex offense.

At 19, Matthew Tucci was a convicted child sex offender. The pattern was set.

2021–2022: Carbondale to Lackawanna County

By December 2021, Tucci was 32, living in White Mills—a small community in Texas Township, Wayne County.

On December 8, 2021, Carbondale City Police Officer Timothy R. Mackrell filed charges: Tucci had been abusing a girl, then approximately 9 years old.

The charge was endangering welfare of children—a third-degree felony punishable by up to seven years in state prison.

Tucci was arraigned in Lackawanna County and released on $75,000 unsecured bail.

He paid nothing. He walked out.

Then his lawyers went to work.

On February 4, 2022, Lackawanna County prosecutors agreed to reduce the felony to a first-degree misdemeanor. They added a second-degree misdemeanor simple assault. Tucci pleaded guilty to both.

On May 3, 2022, Lackawanna County Judge Michael J. Barrasse sentenced him to 9–23 months plus two years probation.

With time served, Tucci was out within months.

What the victim lost: A felony conviction that would follow her abuser for life. Years of prison time keeping him away from her. Any recognition that the man who hurt her was already a convicted sex offender—and had been since 2008.

2023–2025: Wayne County, Under Supervision

After his release, Tucci’s probation transferred to Wayne County, where he lived.

The transfer became official April 12, 2023. Wayne County Adult Probation—six officers working out of the Dimmick Building next to the courthouse in Honesdale—took over his supervision.

Their job: make sure Tucci followed the rules. Check-ins. Home visits. No contact with victims. Stay clean.

Court records show Tucci made 42 payments on his court fees between 2009 and November 2025. Regular $50 installments. Monthly. Like clockwork.

November 3, 2025: His final payment.

November 8, 2025: The last date of alleged abuse, according to the criminal complaint.

November 13, 2025: Wayne County Detective Bobby Joe A. Bendersky executed a search warrant at Tucci’s White Mills residence and arrested him.

The abuse allegedly occurred the entire time he was under supervision—April 2023 through November 2025.

What the Victim Told Investigators

The girl—now 13—was interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Scranton.

She told investigators the abuse stopped when Tucci went to prison in 2021. Then started again about four months after he got out.

She said it began when she was young—”as a punishment.” She thought it was normal. “A normal punishment that every child received.”

When she finally told family members last summer, Tucci allegedly pressured her to take it back. To say she lied.

She didn’t.

17 Charges: What Tucci Faces in Wayne County Court

The criminal complaint filed November 13, 2025, includes some of the most serious charges in Pennsylvania law.

Seven first-degree felonies:

Rape of a child (40 years max). IDSI with child (40 years max). IDSI person less than 16 (40 years max). Rape by forcible compulsion (20 years max). Statutory sexual assault, 11+ years older (20 years max). Unlawful contact with minor—sexual offenses (20 years max). Intimidation of witness/victim (20 years max).

Pennsylvania mandates a 10-year minimum for rape or IDSI when the victim is under 16. Judges cannot go lower.

Four second-degree felonies (10 years max each):

Sexual assault. Aggravated indecent assault without consent. Incest of minor, complainant under 13. Incest of minor, complainant 13–18.

Three third-degree felonies (7 years max each):

Corruption of minors. Endangering welfare of children. Indecent assault of person under 13.

Three misdemeanors:

Indecent assault without consent. Indecent assault by forcible compulsion. Indecent exposure.

The Incest Charges Confirm What the Docket Implies

Two incest charges appear in the complaint—one for abuse when the victim was under 13, another for ages 13–18.

Under Pennsylvania law (18 Pa.C.S. § 4302), incest requires the victim be “an ancestor or descendant, a brother or sister of the whole or half blood or an uncle, aunt, nephew or niece.”

The dual charges—spanning both age brackets—confirm what court records imply but don’t explicitly state:

The victim is a member of Tucci’s family.

What Conviction Means

If convicted on all 17 counts with consecutive sentences, Tucci faces more than 200 years in state prison.

His prior record—2008 sex offense in Wayne County, 2022 child endangerment in Lackawanna County—pushes sentencing guidelines into the aggravated range.

Conviction on any major charge triggers Tier III lifetime sex offender registration under Pennsylvania’s SORNA law. That means:

• Quarterly in-person registration for life
• Photo, address, and offense details published on Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law website
• Notification to neighbors, schools, and daycares

January 8: What Happens Next in Honesdale

Tucci waived his preliminary hearing on November 26, giving up his right to challenge evidence. He also filed notice of intent to waive formal arraignment—moves that sometimes signal plea negotiations.

But no deal has been announced.

The case now sits in Wayne County Court of Common Pleas under docket CP-64-CR-0000300-2025. Tucci remains in Wayne County Prison, unable to post $300,000 bail.

Formal arraignment: January 8, 2026, 9:00 a.m., Historic Courtroom, Wayne County Courthouse, 925 Court Street, Honesdale.

If prosecutors take this to trial and win, Matthew Tucci will spend the rest of his life in prison.

For the 13-year-old girl who thought the abuse was normal—who came forward last summer and was allegedly pressured to take it back—that’s the outcome Wayne County’s courts should have delivered years ago.

Case Details

Defendant Matthew William Tucci, 36 White Mills, Texas Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania DOB: August 2, 1989

Next Court Date January 8, 2026, 9:00 a.m. Formal Arraignment Historic Courtroom, Third Floor Wayne County Courthouse 925 Court Street, Honesdale, PA 18431

Case Numbers CP-64-CR-0000300-2025 (Wayne County Court of Common Pleas) MJ-22302-CR-0000170-2025 (Magisterial District Court)

Charges 17 counts total: 7 first-degree felonies (rape of child, IDSI with child, IDSI person under 16, rape by forcible compulsion, statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with minor, witness intimidation) 4 second-degree felonies (sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, incest of minor under 13, incest of minor 13–18) 3 third-degree felonies (corruption of minors, child endangerment, indecent assault person under 13) 3 misdemeanors (indecent assault without consent, indecent assault by forcible compulsion, indecent exposure)

Bail $300,000 monetary (not posted)

Current Location Wayne County Correctional Facility 44 Mid Wayne Drive, Honesdale, PA 18431

Prosecution Wayne County District Attorney’s Office 925 Court Street, Honesdale, PA 18431

Defense Debra Domenick, Public Defender Scranton, PA

Arresting Officer Detective Bobby Joe A. Bendersky Wayne County Detectives

Prior Criminal Record

2008 — Wayne County Court of Common Pleas Case: CP-64-CR-0000445-2007; CP-64-CR-0000109-2008 Judge: Raymond L. Hamill Convictions: Indecent assault by threat of forcible compulsion (M1), corruption of minors (M1), terroristic threats (M1), simple assault (M2), unsworn falsification (M2) Sentence: 9–18 months (indecent assault), 3–6 months (corruption), 6–12 months (terroristic threats), 1–12 months (simple assault)

2022 — Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas Case: CP-35-CR-0002370-2021 Judge: Michael J. Barrasse Original charge: Endangering welfare of children (F3) Reduced to: Endangering welfare of children (M1), simple assault (M2) Sentence: 9–23 months confinement, 2 years probation Disposition: May 3, 2022

Probation Supervision transferred from Lackawanna County to Wayne County: April 12, 2023 Supervising agency: Wayne County Adult Probation, Honesdale Status at time of arrest: Active supervision Final payment: November 3, 2025 ($50)

The Pocono Review does not identify victims of sexual abuse.

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