Popular radio deejay sentenced to prison

Ryan Carter

CIVIC CENTER -- A Burbank man and former disc jockey for a popular

Spanish- language radio station will serve more than three years in

prison for inappropriately touching two girls.

Firmo Rossetti, 38, known as morning radio host Hector Rocksetti

on VIVA 107.1 FM, was sentenced Thursday to three years and eight

months in state prison, ordered to pay restitution to his two victims

-- who were 14 when the incidents occurred -- and to register as a

sex offender.

Outside the Burbank courtroom, Rossetti’s lawyer said his client’s

fate could have been worse -- he had been charged with 24 counts

including rape and oral copulation of the girls, who met Rossetti

when they called the station.

“He did not want to face those kind of charges,” his attorney

James Goldstein said.

The rape counts could have been “strikes” against him under state

law.

Rossetti allegedly promised the teens jobs in radio and took them

to his home in the 1500 block of North Catalina Street, where the

offenses were committed, police said.

Rossetti pleaded guilty in May to two counts of lewd conduct with

children, which did not include sexual intercourse, Goldstein said.

Rossetti pleaded not guilty to the rape counts and accepted a plea

bargain because of the potential stress of a trial, Goldstein said.

“He was concerned with the nature of the charges but did not want

to put his family and these two girls through the process,”

Goldstein said.