Taxing Long Island
News12 New York
Download the App
Where to Watch
Local
Crime
Weather
beWell
The East End
Crime Files
Stony Brook Medicine
6225GUILTYVOO5_2025-06-02-17-11-13

South Setauket dad sentenced to 17 years in prison for abusing son

He pleaded guilty in June for repeated attacks on the infant who required brain surgery.

News 12 Staff

Jan 8, 2026, 1:19 PM

Updated

Share:

More Stories

A South Setauket man was sentenced to 17 years in prison for repeated abuse of his five-week-old son that caused life-threatening damage to the baby’s brain.

Vincent Distasi, 33, pleaded guilty on June 2, 2025, to first-degree assault.

Distasi was sentenced Thursday to 17 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly’s office was designated as special prosecutor on this case.

“Vincent Distasi’s sadistic and repeated abuse of his tiny infant son was barbaric and forever changed the course of the child’s life,” Donnelly said. “Distasi viciously shook, smacked, and smothered the baby from the moment he came home from the hospital, and five weeks later, that abuse sent the child back to doctors – this time in the emergency room – with life-threatening injuries to his brain.”

On Jan. 21, 2024, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the baby was rushed to Stony Brook University Hospital unresponsive, and he required emergency brain surgery.

Doctors determined the child suffered from multiple injuries, including rib fractures, fractures to both arms, and a subdural hematoma to his brain, among other acute injuries.

The infant’s injuries were in various stages of healing indicating that the child had suffered prolonged abuse.

As part of the criminal investigation, Ring video footage was secured from the Distasi home that recorded the family’s living room.

Review of the footage showed the defendant abusing the infant.

More Stories

More From News12

App StoreGoogle Play Store

info

Newsletter

Send Photos/Videos

Contact

About Us

News Team

News 12 New York

follow us

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

more resources

Optimum Corporate

Optimum Service

Advertise on News 12

Careers

Content Removal Policy

© 2026 N12N, LLC

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Ad Choices