Fisherman sentenced in monitor assault

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March 21, 2012

Fisherman sentenced in monitor assault

By Richard Gaines Staff Writer The Gloucester Daily Times Wed Mar 21, 2012, 05:56 AM EDT

A Gloucester fisherman has been sentenced to two months in prison after a federal jury convicted John Cusick of sexually harassing an at sea monitor during an off-shore fishing trip in 2010.

After his imprisonment, Cusick, 49, was ordered to be under supervision for one year.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo T. Sorokin imposed sentence last Friday. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston announced the resolution of the case on Monday.

Cusick was indicted in February 2011 by a federal grand jury for allegedly harassing and sexually assaulting the female at-sea monitor, and was facing six months in prison and fines of up to $10,000 on each of two counts.

It was on or about July 15, 2010, the indictment alleged, that Cusick "forcibly assaulted, impeded, intimidated, sexually harassed and interfered with" the woman on board.

According to the indictment, Cusick engaged in "hugging her without her consent, and inserting his tongue in her ear while she was engaged in her duties as a federal at-sea monitor...."

The magistrate did not issue any fine in addition to the two months' sentence.

The Times was unable to obtain details about the trial.

According to the indictment, Cusick was crewing on the Sea Farmer II, a 76 foot vessel owned by Sandler Fisheries Inc., which is based in Gloucester, on a trip that lasted most of a week, when the harassment occurred.

At-sea monitors have been used on about one third of the groundfishing trips since the introduction of Amendment 16, which instituted annual catch limits that Congress required through the 2006 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

As part of Sorokin's sentencing, Cusick is not allowed to contact the victim directly or through a third party, while on supervised release.

The trip on which the crime occurred began in Gloucester and ended in Boston.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan of the office's major crime unit.

Richard Gaines can be reached at 978-283-7000 x3464, or rgaines@gloucestertimes.com.