NEWPORT, N.H. — A 35-year-old Charlestown man could remain in prison for more than two decades after a judge handed down a stiff sentence in state court on Friday, nearly 10 months after a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting two minors.

Ryan Beaudry was sentenced to a total of 9½ years to 22 years in state prison after a trial jury returned a guilty verdict last August on four charges of aggravated felonious sexual assault against two minors.

Beaudry, whose family owns and operates agriculture supply business Beaudry Enterprises, has steadfastly maintained his innocence of the charges. He has been incarcerated since the verdict.

“My starting point here is that you did commit these crimes,” Judge Brian Tucker told Beaudry as he asked the defendant to rise before announcing his sentence. “I understand that you say you’re innocent. But the jury found beyond a reasonable doubt that you were guilty of these offenses, and I accept their verdicts.”

The judge sentenced Beaudry to 7½ years to 15 years on the first charge to be followed consecutively by a 2- to 10-years sentence on the second charge.

A third charge drew a 7½ years to 15 years sentence, to be served concurrently with the first sentence, and a fourth charge drew a similar sentence but was suspended.

Beaudry’s sentence could be shortened, the judge noted, if he completes sexual offender treatment programs offered by the prison.

“Child sexual assault is one of the most serious crimes we have, and its effects on victims is well-known,” Tucker said, adding, “it’s necessary to make a statement that courts take these cases seriously and people convicted of these crimes ought to be punished for them.”

Both the minors gave emotional victim impact statements through gasps of tears recounting the pain they suffered, which the judge afterward commended from the bench.

“A lot of people who are abused don’t come forward. They don’t stand up,” Tucker said. “It was a terrible crime that was committed against you, but you did exactly what you should have done, which has come forward and testify. And I hope you’re proud of yourselves. You should be.”

More than half a dozen people, most of them family members, spoke to ask the court for leniency on Beaudry’s behalf. They said the crimes of which Beaudry had been convicted did not match with the character of the person they knew.

“He spent a lot of time with my wife and our three sons and embraced all the aspects of family life. He has always been a good kid with a heart of gold, always kind; he has never inflicted pain on others,” said Robert Beaudry, Ryan Beaudry’s uncle, who has long been active in Charlestown civic affairs

Robert Beaudry added that his nephew’s absence from the family business while in prison “has had a negative impact on our business and services.”

The Beaudry family launched an aggressive defense — three lawyers withdrew from the case before veteran Claremont criminal defense attorney Tony Dipadova signed on in December, according to court records.

In January, Dipadova filed motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial “due to ineffective assistance of counsel,” court records show.

Tucker rejected Beaudry’s argument that the evidence wasn’t sufficient to support the jury’s verdict, concluding in his March 30 order, “I decline to disturb the jury’s conclusion on which account of the facts was persuasive.”

In April, Beaudry filed a motion for a new trial based on “prosecutorial overreaching,” which Tucker denied on May 31, according to court records.

Dipadova did not respond to an email for comment.

Meanwhile, Tucker’s decision on the motion for a new trial because “ineffective assistance of counsel” is still pending.

Contact John Lippman at jlippman@vnews.com.

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