A Delaware County jury convicted 21-year-old Evan Chiusolo of Upper Darby on Thursday in a case involving rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by force, and indecent assault without consent following a two-day trial over a sexual assault at his family's home in Secane. Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before returning the verdict.
The case, reported by the Delco Times, centered on an August 6, 2025 encounter at Chiusolo's house in Secane, where the victim — who had previously had a sexual relationship with him — testified that what began as consensual contact turned violent. According to the paper's account of testimony, the victim said Chiusolo pinned her hands above her head, told her to be quiet, and, after handcuffing her, told her he could do whatever he wanted. She told the jury she repeated the word no during the assault and loudly told him to stop.
The victim testified she had consented to being handcuffed but not to what followed, and said she did not want to have anal sex with Chiusolo on that occasion despite having done so with him before. She told jurors she told him repeatedly that it hurt and begged him to stop, and said Chiusolo asked her whether she liked being raped and whether he could choke her. She said she agreed to being choked only because she wanted the encounter to end, and that she briefly lost consciousness. At one point, she testified, she managed to work one hand free of the cuffs, only for Chiusolo to put it back in.
Defense Challenged Victim's Account and Investigation
Defense attorney James Bonner argued that the victim's account changed and grew over time, pointing to what he described as later-added details about her being on top during part of the encounter, the use of baby oil, and the severity of the choking. He told jurors those inconsistencies created reasonable doubt about her credibility and asked them to view the encounter within the broader context of the pair's relationship, questioning why she did not leave the room. The victim testified she had no idea what Chiusolo might do if she tried.
Bonner also criticized the investigation led by Delaware County Detective Sergeant Steve Bannar as incomplete, noting Bannar never interviewed Chiusolo's mother, who was home at the time and told the court she never heard anything coming from her son's room. Bannar is a detective sergeant with Delaware County. Bonner further argued that Chiusolo's texts after the encounter, in which he wrote that things had gotten a little out of hand during sex, read more like someone ending an argument than admitting wrongdoing, and noted Chiusolo never used the word rape in those messages.
In texts, a phone intercept, and a later interview, Chiusolo said he thought the victim wanted the sexual acts because she had previously asked him to do similar things. The account of his text messages described him as asking whether she liked not being in control, misunderstanding what she wanted, and acknowledging that she asked him to stop but was not begging him. Still, he acknowledged — in texts, a phone intercept, and a later interview — that he heard her say no.
Prosecutor Said Case Came Down to a Single Word
Assistant District Attorney Meghan Rafter told the jury the case came down to the word no, and argued that Chiusolo's own words showed he knew the victim did not want anal sex. Rafter said the victim's testimony was emotionally credible, and reminded jurors that sexual assault victims have no obligation to do anything in particular during an assault. She noted the force at issue was Chiusolo holding the victim's hands down, and told the jury the handcuffs were not presented as the restraint underlying the charges — countering defense characterization of them as little more than a toy that could be easily removed.
The victim sobbed while describing the assault on the stand, according to the paper's report, and testified she choked Chiusolo while on top of him and asked him not to choke her too hard, at one point applying pressure to his neck as he applied what she described as extreme pressure to hers. The bedroom door where the assault occurred was reportedly off its hinges and had no doorknob, leaving her alone, naked, and handcuffed with him.
Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge Dominic Pileggi, who has served on the county bench since January 2016 after a career that included serving as Republican floor leader and Mayor of Chester, according to Wikipedia, presided over the trial and denied a defense motion to revoke Chiusolo's bail. Chiusolo remains free on $20,000 cash bail ahead of sentencing.
Sentencing Set for December, Registration Required for Life
Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, pending a presentence investigation and psychological evaluation. The convictions include rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and indecent assault.
Because the convictions include rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, Chiusolo will also be subject to lifetime registration. The sources cited here do not specify a verification schedule. According to the Pennsylvania Megan's Law Public Website, rape under 18 Pa.C.S. § 3121 is a sexual offense subject to lifetime registration.
The case adds to a string of sexual assault prosecutions moving through Delaware County courts this year. In August, county authorities charged a 27-year-old man with rape and sexual assault after he allegedly forced his way past a barricaded bedroom door to assault a woman in an Upper Darby case Hoodline previously covered. A separate reported residence-hall rape at Villanova University is under investigation.
The Delaware County Victim Assistance Center has operated since 1974 and offers a 24-hour crisis hotline and court accompaniment for sexual assault survivors. Under Pennsylvania law, hospitals that evaluate sexual assault victims and collect forensic evidence must notify local police or the Pennsylvania State Police within 12 hours of collection.
