CT - Bill would require state to notify mayors about sex offender placements

Original Article

Hmm, the state has an option to email people when a "sex offender" is placed into the community, or moves, this is yet another pointless law. And given the fact that "sex offenders" move so much, how quick will it become a pain in the butt to get an email every time one moves?

04/05/2014

By Adam Benson

If a measure before Connecticut legislators becomes law, when registered sex offenders leave prison and are placed into a Connecticut community, the chief executive officer of the town or city would be notified by the state.

On Wednesday, the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee voted 40-0 in favor of Senate Bill 432, which, if approved, would charge the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection with alerting mayors or first selectmen via email when a registered sex offender is provided with local housing. The measure is co-sponsored by state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague.

If legislators in both chambers approve the bill, it's up to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to sign it into law, which could take effect July 1.

Lawmakers said a controversy that flared up last year in Norwich was the impetus for the provision.

Former Mayor Peter Nystrom led a vocal group of city officials who assailed the state for placing offenders into city apartments upon their release from a treatment facility known as The January Center, on the grounds of Montville's Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center.

In early February, the influential lobbying group Connecticut Conference of Municipalities included the proposal in its list of legislative priorities.

“This bill is a direct reflection of the problem we ran into in Norwich. We're doing this for chief elected officials of cities and towns to get more information,” Osten said. “They need to know who is living in their community. When residents come to them with questions, they need to know what's going on.”

Norwich Mayor Deb Hinchey said she supports the legislation if it brings peace of mind to residents.

“It's about being responsive to the citizens, and if they feel it gives them an extra measure of comfort or protection to have the mayor notified, I think that's fine,” Hinchey said. “If the law passes, I would certainly sit down with (Police) Chief (Louis J.) Fusaro and the city manager and figure out the process that we would implement to make sure the information was put out where it needed to be.”

In a statement, spokeswoman Brenda Bergeron said the state department already sends information about the whereabouts of sex offenders to local law enforcement, and it will fully cooperate with any new provisions.

“The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection is committed to the continuing improvement of all facets of public safety and stands ready to comply with the notification process outlined in the bill. It may be noted that this information is already provided to municipalities through their local police departments or resident state troopers,” she said.

Eastern Connecticut officials aren't the only ones backing S.B. 432.

In March 12 testimony before the judiciary committee, state Sen. Joseph Crisco Jr., D-Woodbridge, said the prompt flow of information to local leaders regarding sex offenders living in their towns is “important.”

“I believe it is important for parents to be given the tools and information that would allow them to ensure the safety of their children. For this reasons, I urge support of this bill,” he said.
- This bill is NOT about parents having the info, that is already available, it's about notifying mayors, but they can also get notifications as well.  It just goes to show you that those in charge of passing unconstitutional laws have no clue what they are doing!

Norwich Alderman Mark Bettencourt, a former correctional officer and chairman of the City Council's Public Safety Committee, said S.B. 432 is good law.

“For us, it's just a matter of following it. If it's coming in to a chief elected official, they're going to have to make the push to follow through and make sure the job gets done,” he said.

CT - Correction officer (Kelvin Grisales) accused of sexual assault in Hartford

Kelvin Grisales

Original Article

03/27/2014

By Jill Konopka

HARTFORD (WFSB) - A Hartford correctional officer was arrested after police said he was involved in a violent rape Thursday morning behind a local high school.

Kelvin Grisales was placed on administrative leave Thursday after being charged with multiple crimes including aggravated rape and threatening, officials with Connecticut Department of Corrections confirmed.

Grisales, who is a father and former Marine, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a back parking lot behind the Sport and Medical Sciences Academy on Huyshope Street overnight.

The victim, who is being called Jane Doe in court documents, told police the sexual assault occurred in a blue SUV, which was later pulled over by police.

"Grisales told Doe to get in the back seat, and he followed. Grisales then pulled out a gun, and told Doe to do as he says. Doe asked Grisales to let her go, and that she didn't want to die," according to court documents.

"The claim is that she was sexually assaulted at gunpoint and a badge was shown," said Hartford Deputy Chief Brian Foley. "As far as his employment status we're not commenting. Certainly you can contact the DOC."

Police said the victim later told them she went willingly at first and the two discussed sex for money. But when she alleges she was threatened and feared for her life.

According to arrest papers, Grisales paints a very different picture. He told officers, she threatened him "they had consensual sex."

Police wouldn't discuss details, but say their investigation isn't over and isn't confined just to Hartford.

The New Britain Police Department said they are investigating two similar sexual assaults.

"There is an additional incident of a similar nature being investigated by the Hartford Police Department," said New Britain Police Captain Thomas Steck in an email to Eyewitness News.

Grisales, who has worked for DOC since 2008, is believed to be the suspect in these additional sexual assaults as well.

"We're examining all similar incidents," Foley said. "We're in contact with the New Britain Police Department."

New Britain Police Department said its investigation is "ongoing" and no more information was released.

Grisales later told authorities his son's BB gun was in the car. Arrest papers show he said he grabbed it and put in his lap because he was fearful.

Grisales was arraigned at Hartford Superior Court on Thursday. Following his court appearance, he is being held on a $500,000 bond.

Family members at court on Thursday did not have a comment for Eyewitness News.

CT - Former East Hartford Officer (Andrew W. Nielsen) Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Possession

Original Article

03/25/2014

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY

HARTFORD - A former East Hartford police officer pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Tuesday to one count of possession of child pornography, according a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office.

Andrew W. Nielsen, 49, of South Windsor, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello, Thomas Carson stated in a news release.

According to court documents, Nielsen bought several DVDs containing child pornography from a foreign company and had them shipped to his residence. The DVDs, which included pictures of pre-pubescent minors, were purchased between November 2010 and April 2011, Carson said.
- So are you going to do something about the foreign company who is selling child porn?

Nielsen's home was searched on Nov. 1, 2012, and he was arrested the same day, he said. He resigned from the police department after his arrest.

Nielsen is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18. He faces a maximum prison term of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

He has been free on bail and on electronic monitoring under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office since November 2012, Carson said.

The charges stem from a postal service investigation that began in October 2010 into an international company that sold videos and photos believed to contain child pornography, according to Nielsen's arrest affidavit.

Investigators found Nielsen's name and invoice information in the company's database, the affidavit says, and were able to confirm that he was still receiving mail at his Pleasant Valley Road address.

They determined that over the course of about six months, Nielsen had purchased 49 DVDs from the company's website over 15 orders totaling $1,173.55, according to the affidavit.

The DVDs containing child pornography were found during the search, and Nielsen admitted to Postal Inspector Michael J. Connelly that he had ordered them and had them shipped to his house, the warrant states.

Multiple computers were also seized during the search.

The case is being prosecuted by Neeraj N. Patel, assistant U.S. attorney.

The prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood Initiative. The program is intended to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation, the release says.

CT - Trumbull Cop (William Ruscoe) Accused of Sex Assault of Police Explorers Member

William Ruscoe

Original Article

02/25/2014

State police have arrested a 20-year veteran of the Trumbull police department who is accused of sexual assaulting one member of the police department's explorer program and sharing inappropriate texts with another.

Trumbull police said William Ruscoe, 44, has been suspended from duty and there is an internal investigation to determine if he violated any department policies or regulations.

Ruscoe served as an advisor to the explorer program, which works with youth interested in possible law enforcement careers, for several years, according to a statement from Trumbull Police Chief Thomas Kiely.

The application for the arrest warrant says one victim is now 17 and he is accused of sharing inappropriate texts with her.

The other victim is now 18-year-old.

The investigation into Ruscoe started on Oct. 14, 2013, when a suspicious incident was reported at a high school in Tolland County.

The 17-year-old girl told police that she joined the police explorers program in 2011, when she was 14. Months later, her drill instructor, identified as Ruscoe, started sending inappropriate and flirty messages, the girl told police.

Then it escalated to Ruscoe asking the teen to send him photos of herself.

In all, the teen said she sent Ruscoe about 50 photos of herself, exposed and Ruscoe sent her inappropriate photos of himself.

During a cadet camp at the University of Hartford last year, the teen said she noticed Ruscoe paying attention to two Trumbull girls and told him that people were talking about him flirting with one of the teens in an effort to get him to stop flirting, police documents state.

After meeting with the teen, police searched her phone for the messages.

In January, police obtained a search warrant for Ruscoe's phone and met with him at the police station to retreive it.

Ruscoe handed over his phone but said he did not want to provide the password or provide a written statement, according to the warrant application.

Ruscoe's attorney also told police that his client did not want to be interviewed.

On Sunday, troopers met with the second victim, who told police that she was "very intimidated" because of Ruscoe's position and she did not want him to get in trouble.

She told investigators she joined the explorers program in December 2012 and Ruscoe started sending her inappropriate messages in 2013. when she was 17.

She told police that she did communicate with Ruscoe but only after he was very persistent.

In the texts, Ruscoe wrote that he loved the girl and the texts progressively became more graphic and sexual in nature, according to police paperwork.

She told police that Ruscoe begged the her to send him photos of her and she eventually did, according to police. She also provided police with information about three inappropriate incidents that occured in June.

Ruscoe took the teen to a beach in Stratford and gave her a silver bracelet with a heart-shaped charm that said "Made With Love," according to police.

On another night in June, Ruscoe picked her up early in the morning after a "band gig."

He was drunk, she told police, became aggressive in a sexual manner and kissed her, but she tried to push him away.

At the end of the month, Ruscoe took the teen to a Trumbull home he had moved out of.

Once they were inside, he placed a gun on the counter and and was looking at her "in a threatening way that made her very uncomfortable," the warrant says.

The girl told police that things became sexual and she kept telling him to stop. He also restrained her hands behind her back with handcuffs while in bed, police said.

The girl told police she recalled one conversation in which Ruscoe said that if he ever got caught, he would go to jail and that he would kill himself if he went to jail.

She said this was intimidating and she did not want anything to happen to him because of anything he did.

The girl told police that Ruscoe had asked the teen to change his name in her phone to "Jack" because she liked the movie Titanic and told her he could get in trouble because of her age.

Toward the end of January, Ruscoe reached out to the 18-year-old and told her that police had come to take his phone because "an older friend that was a girl he used to help out was going through a rough time and she dropped his name," court documents said.

Ruscoe told her he was nervous that police would contact her because her number was in his phone and advised her not to say anything because she is 18 and is not required, the teen told police.

Ruscoe was charged with second-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault, fourth-degree sexual assault and tampering with a witness.

Police released a statement about Ruscoe's arrest.

"I am deeply troubled and concerned by the nature of the charges that have been presented. We will make every effort to ensure that the integrity of the department and its officers is preserved as this case is investigated, and that the case is handles in a fair and timely manner," a statement from Kiely says.

Ruscoe was arrested on Thursday and bond was set at $50,000.

He posted bond and is due back in court on March 5.

CT - Sex Offenders at the Polls

Original Article

02/13/2014

By Len Besthoff

They have every right to be there in Connecticut once they have served their sentences. But some voting districts have raised concerns.

A state elections panel is investigating an incident that raises questions about the fine line between personal rights and public safety. _____ says he was so intimidated this past fall, that the Norwalk man left his polling place without exercising his right to vote…all because of his criminal past. He spoke with NBC Troubleshooters’ Chief Investigative Reporter Len Besthoff.

“I feel like they violated my rights, my voting rights.” You can sense the anger in _____’s voice as he describes what happened last September during a Democratic primary vote in Norwalk. “I felt intimidated. I felt like I was being stuck out, it was very humiliating, very embarrassing”

_____ is a registered sex offender. He was released from prison a decade ago, after serving five years for a sexual assault conviction involving a woman he knew. He turned down an offer to have the case dropped and charges erased after 13 months. He chose to go to trial.. and lost.

_____ says since prison, he started his own business, works with troubled teens…and has actively voted, until last fall…that’s when he says he was turned away at his polling station, the Columbus Elementary School in Norwalk...which was holding classes that day. “They said I would have to leave the grounds of the school immediately. I asked them why. They didn’t want to answer it. They called an officer over who escorted me off the school property.”

The registrar’s office sent _____ back to the polls, telling him he had the right to vote.

“_____: That’s when the officer shadowed me…it was shadowing, meaning real close. And it made anyone who was watching think that I was a danger to someone else. Besthoff: How close was he standing? _____: Real close. Besthoff: Like a foot? _____: Not even a foot. Less than that.”

_____ left Columbus Elementary without voting. “I was discouraged. I think that was the first time I hadn’t voted in the last 10 years”. So why did this happen to _____? Norwalk Democratic Registrar Stuart Wells asked police for printouts of all registered sex offenders in town that might be voting in the primary…and distributed them to poll moderators. “The schools had all expressed a considerable interest in increasing their security since Sandy Hook, for obvious reasons. We have…10 locations that are schools that we use for polling places.”

Problem was, no distinction was made between registered sex offenders like _____, whose conviction involved an adult, and others who may have had crimes involving children. “When we checked with his probation officer he said he had no restrictions on being near schools”
- If the person committed a crime against an adult or child what does it matter?  Aren't people there while he votes?  What's the big deal?  This is nothing but pure hysteria!

The poll moderator and police have a different version of what happened with _____. Neither will comment. The case file is sealed while it remains under investigation. The bigger question, is how to deal in the future with registered sex offenders, who, unlike _____, do have offenses involving children, when the polling stations are at schools? And according to the Secretary of the State’s office, roughly one third of all Connecticut public schools are open on Election Day.

People convicted of crimes involving children often are forbidden from going near schools. The state says those convicts are often subject to lengthy terms of supervision after their sentences, and arrangements can be made to allow them to vote at a school that is open…but Stuart Wells isn’t so sure.

“Besthoff: You don’t have a playbook for how to deal with this stuff! Wells: Correct, if there are, if they couldn’t go in the schools, and you don’t qualify for an absentee ballot, how’s the person supposed to exercise their constitutional right to vote? We’re concerned about that. We don’t want to impact the children, but we want everybody vote who’s entitled to do so, without getting arrested in the process.”
- Then stop holding voting in schools!

The state legislature is expected to deal with this issue…but not until next year. First a constitutional amendment must pass this fall allowing lawmakers to fine tune Connecticut’s election laws. In the meantime, Larry _____ just hopes his next vote at Columbus Elementary goes smoother.

“There’s a lot of votes on the street. A lot of votes. But if they see what’s happening, that happened to me, then people aren’t gonna want to show up.”

There is a possibility this could be dealt with sooner rather than later, with at least a temporary fix. A state elections panel is expected to discuss the issue soon, and we will let you know what progress it makes.