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A former Sumner County community theater director who pleaded guilty in March to five counts of statutory rape by an authority figure was sentenced to 30 years in prison last Friday.
Robert Pitt, II, 41, was indicted by a grand jury in October of 2020 on six counts of statutory rape by an authority figure for incidents that occurred in December 2011, January and February of 2012, and April of 2014 with the same female victim.
Pitt, who directed and acted in several productions over the years at the Hendersonville Performing Arts Company (HPAC), pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to go to trial in March when two additional victims came forward.
As part of a plea agreement, Pitt pleaded guilty to five of the six charges and won’t be prosecuted on charges involving the two other victims. The two additional victims, however, were allowed to testify at a sentencing hearing on Nov. 18.
All three of the victims, now in their 20s, asked Criminal Court Judge Dee David Gay to hand down the maximum sentence. A Class C felony at the time of Pitt’s crimes, each count carries a range of three to six years in jail, prison or some form of community corrections.
The primary victim testified that she was groomed and coerced into having a sexual relationship with Pitt from 2011 until she was able to escape in 2018.
Pitt’s attorney, John Pellegrin, said that Pitt was in the low range of being a threat to re-offend. He also suggested that Pitt suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after serving in the military overseas.
“He has had a number of people who have written letters on his behalf,” said Pellegrin. “Just an awful lot of people think the world of him.”
Pitt, who has been in jail since March, read an allocution statement.
“I betrayed everyone’s trust in such horrible ways,” he said. “There’s absolutely no excuses in my behavior … I will continually regret the pain I’ve caused.”
Gay, who referenced a presentencing report, said he didn’t see much remorse from Pitt until last Friday.
“Any concern you have for the victims in this case is sorely lacking,” he said.
The judge also said he didn’t believe that PTSD caused Pitt to have sex with minors.
“You were at one time a hero who represented our country – and you turned into the monster you were protecting people from when you were protecting our country. Post-traumatic stress has nothing to do with grooming a juvenile,” he said. “It has nothing to do with those choices.”
Gay sentenced Pitt to six years on each count to be served consecutively in the Tennessee State Prison.
“If there was a poster child for consecutive sentencing, you are it,” said Gay. “You deserve double that.”
Pitt will be eligible for parole after serving 30 percent of his sentence (nine years).
Sumner County Assistant District Attorney Tara Wyllie prosecuted the case.
“The three victims in this case were brave enough to tell the truth about what happened to them at the hands of Robert Pitt,” said Wyllie. “The victims’ actions gave the judge what he needed to give Pitt a sentence that will make our community safer. I hope the justice in this case emboldens victims in these kinds of cases to come forward.”
