An 18-year veteran of the Norwalk Police Department has been placed on administrative leave after he was arrested Friday by Greenwich Police for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor.
Officer Anthony Santo, 42, turned himself into the Greenwich Police Department on a warrant for second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.
Greenwich Police said the arrest stems from a three-month long investigation into the sexual assault of a minor and would not divulge further details about the arrest.
Norwalk Police Chief Harry Rilling said the arrest is related to an incident that occurred five or six years ago at a home in Greenwich. He could not give details of the arrest because the investigation is ongoing.
Rilling said the department will await the outcome of the criminal investigation before deciding whether to take further action in the matter.
"He's been a member of the department for quite some time," he said. "We've never had any complaints about him from the community or his fellow officers."
Sources close to The Hour said the sexual-assault victim may have only recently revealed the allegations to police. Under Connecticut state law, the statute of limitations to file a rape charge is 30 years after the incident occurred.
Friday's arrest marks the third time in three years that a Norwalk police officer has been charged with sex crimes.
Former Lieut. Thomas Cummings was arrested in January 2008 on multiple charges stemming from accusations of inappropriate sexual contact with two teenage boys.
Former officer Ray DeCamillo was recently released from prison after serving a nine-month sentence for sexually assaulting a 20-year-old Norwalk woman while on duty in 2006. He registered on the New Canaan sex-offender registry in September.
Showing posts with label injury to minor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label injury to minor. Show all posts
Monday, October 05, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Sgt William Edwards Arrested on Sexual Charges Against Boy
NEW LONDON, Conn.
New London's police chief says he has fired a sergeant arrested in January on sexual assault charges involving a boy.
The chief says William Edwards, who had been suspended without pay since his arrest, was notified in person late Monday afternoon.
Edwards is accused of sexually assaulting a boy who told authorities he had four or five encounters with the officer when he was between 5 and 7 years old.
The chief says that Edwards was brought up on charges of violating the department's rules and regulations, such as alleged drug use, untruthfulness and conduct unbecoming an officer.
Edwards is charged with third-degree sexual assault, unlawful restraint, tampering with a witness and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.
Prosecutors have moved his case to Windham County.
Information from: The Day, http://www.theday.com
New London's police chief says he has fired a sergeant arrested in January on sexual assault charges involving a boy.
The chief says William Edwards, who had been suspended without pay since his arrest, was notified in person late Monday afternoon.
Edwards is accused of sexually assaulting a boy who told authorities he had four or five encounters with the officer when he was between 5 and 7 years old.
The chief says that Edwards was brought up on charges of violating the department's rules and regulations, such as alleged drug use, untruthfulness and conduct unbecoming an officer.
Edwards is charged with third-degree sexual assault, unlawful restraint, tampering with a witness and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.
Prosecutors have moved his case to Windham County.
Information from: The Day, http://www.theday.com
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Officer Meredith Shook Charged with DUI
SEYMOUR
Police arrested one of their own officers Thursday and charged her with driving under the influence after crashing her personal SUV while off duty last month.
Meredith Shook, 33, of Humphrey Street, was also charged with risk of injury to a minor and failure to drive in the proper lane after the Jan. 15 incident. She was released on a written promise to appear March 2 at Derby Superior Court.
Lt. Paul Satkowski, the department's spokesman, said that Shook had been placed on paid administrative leave Friday, but declined to comment further on the investigation.
It remained unclear Friday why Shook was charged with risk of injury to a minor, or if police had conducted a breathalyzer test at the scene of the incident last month. Police also would not explain why it took more than month to file charges against Shook.
At about 11:36 p.m. on Jan. 15, Shook was driving her Ford Explorer south on Derby Avenue close to the Tri-Town Plaza when police said the SUV Shook, along with two other Seymour officers, was the subject of an internal affairs investigation in September 2006 after police were called to the Derby home of state police Trooper Karen Nixon, where Shook and Sgt. Richard Gittings were having drinks.
According to the investigation, Nixon felt threatened when Officer Thomas Scharf sent text messages to Shook and later drove by the residence.
Gittings left the premises before police arrived and later agreed to forfeit four days' vacation pay in connection with the incident. The investigation was later closed and no charges were filed against Shook or Scharf.
_____________
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/02/21/news/valley/b2-secopleave.txt
Police arrested one of their own officers Thursday and charged her with driving under the influence after crashing her personal SUV while off duty last month.
Meredith Shook, 33, of Humphrey Street, was also charged with risk of injury to a minor and failure to drive in the proper lane after the Jan. 15 incident. She was released on a written promise to appear March 2 at Derby Superior Court.
Lt. Paul Satkowski, the department's spokesman, said that Shook had been placed on paid administrative leave Friday, but declined to comment further on the investigation.
It remained unclear Friday why Shook was charged with risk of injury to a minor, or if police had conducted a breathalyzer test at the scene of the incident last month. Police also would not explain why it took more than month to file charges against Shook.
At about 11:36 p.m. on Jan. 15, Shook was driving her Ford Explorer south on Derby Avenue close to the Tri-Town Plaza when police said the SUV Shook, along with two other Seymour officers, was the subject of an internal affairs investigation in September 2006 after police were called to the Derby home of state police Trooper Karen Nixon, where Shook and Sgt. Richard Gittings were having drinks.
According to the investigation, Nixon felt threatened when Officer Thomas Scharf sent text messages to Shook and later drove by the residence.
Gittings left the premises before police arrived and later agreed to forfeit four days' vacation pay in connection with the incident. The investigation was later closed and no charges were filed against Shook or Scharf.
_____________
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/02/21/news/valley/b2-secopleave.txt
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Officer William Edwards Sr Charged with Sexual Assault of Child
New London Community Police Officer William R. Edwards Sr. appeared in Norwich Superior Court this morning on charges related to the sexual assault of a child.
Edwards, 45, has been charged with third-degree sexual assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, tampering with a witness and two counts of risk of injury to a minor. He was arrested this morning by state police at Troop E in Montville.
New London Police Chief Bruce Rinehart suspended Edwards without pay following Edwards' arrest.
The suspension was effective immediately, said Rinehart, and will be in effect pending the outcome of the court case. Rinehart had been unable to suspend Edwards until his arrest because Edwards had been hospitalized since early December.
The chief and New London Police Capt. Margaret Ackley met Edwards at Troop E where state police processed him.
“It's an unfortunate thing,'' Rinehart said. “Law enforcement is one big family and when these things happen to our brothers and sisters, these things affect us all.''
He said the department is also conducting an internal investigation into the allegations.
Edwards was accompanied in court by his attorney, Paul Guernsey, and by his brother, Kenneth Edwards, a former New London police officer. He posted $100,000 bond.
Judge Barbara Jongbloed issued a full protective order forbidding William Edwards from having any contact with the victim and added the condition that he cooperate with the Institute of the Living, a psychiatric institution in Hartford, where he had been hospitalized since early December.
His case has been transferred to Danielson Superior Court and his next appearance is scheduled for Feb. 11
Edwards, 45, has been charged with third-degree sexual assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, tampering with a witness and two counts of risk of injury to a minor. He was arrested this morning by state police at Troop E in Montville.
New London Police Chief Bruce Rinehart suspended Edwards without pay following Edwards' arrest.
The suspension was effective immediately, said Rinehart, and will be in effect pending the outcome of the court case. Rinehart had been unable to suspend Edwards until his arrest because Edwards had been hospitalized since early December.
The chief and New London Police Capt. Margaret Ackley met Edwards at Troop E where state police processed him.
“It's an unfortunate thing,'' Rinehart said. “Law enforcement is one big family and when these things happen to our brothers and sisters, these things affect us all.''
He said the department is also conducting an internal investigation into the allegations.
Edwards was accompanied in court by his attorney, Paul Guernsey, and by his brother, Kenneth Edwards, a former New London police officer. He posted $100,000 bond.
Judge Barbara Jongbloed issued a full protective order forbidding William Edwards from having any contact with the victim and added the condition that he cooperate with the Institute of the Living, a psychiatric institution in Hartford, where he had been hospitalized since early December.
His case has been transferred to Danielson Superior Court and his next appearance is scheduled for Feb. 11
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Officer William Edwards Sr Charged with Sexual Assault Against Minor
New London
State police have obtained an arrest warrant charging William R. Edwards Sr., a well-known city patrolman, with sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.
Edwards, 45, has been hospitalized under psychiatric care for several days, preventing state police from serving a warrant that charges him with risk of injury to a minor, third-degree sexual assault, unlawful restraint and tampering with a witness, according to several law enforcement sources. Details of the alleged crimes are not available.
Over the weekend, New London City Manager Martin Berliner sent an e-mail to members of the City Council to inform them of the pending charges. Berliner wrote that police Chief Bruce F. Rinehart informed him on Dec. 4 that state police were investigating Edwards for an off-duty incident. The city manager said he did not plan to tell the councilors until Edwards was arrested “in fairness to Officer Edwards.”
”Unfortunately, since the process has taken so long, you may have heard about this situation from someone else. For that I am sorry,” Berliner wrote. “At this point, a signed arrest warrant is on file with state police. You will be informed when the warrant is executed.”
Rinehart said Edwards requested and is currently on paid leave. He said he could not comment on the allegations since the investigation is ongoing.
Edwards is a 20-year veteran of the police department who serves as the city's crime prevention officer, working with various groups of city residents, including children, the elderly, neighborhood watch groups and business owners. His family is well known in New London, where Edwards' father, Kenneth W. Edwards Sr., is a retired deputy fire chief, and his brother, Kenneth W. Edwards Jr., is a retired police captain.
Members of the police union discussed the situation at a meeting on Tuesday so officers would be aware of Edwards' impending arrest and be prepared to respond to any backlash they might hear during the course of their duties in the community, according to a police source.
Edwards is the president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association and was in charge of its finances, according to a source, who said a committee of patrolmen are checking the PBA's finances. He is also a past president of the New London Rotary Club.
Edwards is married and has two children. Court records indicate that Deutsche Bank foreclosed on the family home at 68 Cedar Grove Ave. in July and that the bank repossessed the home.
The New London Police Department and the county's state's attorneys have not been involved in the investigation. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, state police detectives at Troop E investigated the allegations involving Edwards and presented a warrant affidavit to be signed by officials in Windham County.
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