The alleged victim, now 20, took the witness stand and told the jury Anthony Santo stuck his hand down her pants and touched her sexually while her father and brother were sleeping next to them on the first day of a trial against a Norwalk police officer accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl.
Santo seemed on without feeling while the girl described the event at state Superior Court in Stamford. Santo had been an 18-year person in the Norwalk Police Department before October of 2009 as he ended up being arrested on fees of second-degree intimate attack and threat of problems for a kid. He’s got been on unpaid leave that is administrative their arrest.
The alleged victim stated Santo had been a good friend regarding the family members and invested lots of time at their property in Greenwich. The lady stated she could tell Santo things she could perhaps maybe not discuss along with her “strict moms and dads” and described Santo as her “second daddy. “
The girl ended up being not able to identify the precise date of this attack, but stated she ended up being about 13 at that time. The witness stated she was at her pajamas sitting on a settee in her own family area as well as the two might have been dealing with masturbation or becoming groped by another child whenever Santo touched her. Your ex said there might have been an electric outage that and her father and brother may have been sleeping on a mattress in the living room when the incident took place night.
The lady stated she would not inform anybody in regards to the incident until belated 2007, whenever she was told by her boyfriend.
At that time, your ex stated she ended up being so young she failed to realize something bad had happened, although she stated she straight away went into the restroom to gather by herself.
“I didn’t know very well what was happening, I didn’t realize the emotions I happened to be having … I did not understand it had been incorrect. I did not know any single thing, ” she stated.
Prior to the lady and Santo had been to take a visit together to Florida to consult with a family member of Santo’s in July 2009, the boyfriend called authorities and reported the intimate attack she described to him significantly more than per year earlier in the day.
Santo, who has got remained free on $25,000 relationship since his arrest, would sometimes lean in to speak with their lawyer, Gary Mastronardi, during the roughly 90 moments of testimony the lady provided each day.
Moments after Mastronardi started their cross assessment, the lady started to cry as she ended up being expected in a stern tone why her dad had been aggravated along with her after she made the allegation against Santo, an in depth buddy.
“He had been upset with you because he failed to think you. He did not think your tale, ” Mastronardi stated.
Judge Richard Comerford then provided the lady a few mins to write by herself before continuing.
Whenever Mastronardi started once again, he asked to truly have the exact same concern duplicated, but an objection up to a follow-up led Comerford to clear the jury through the courtroom.
Prior to meal, Mastronardi outlined his strategy during a quarrel with senior Assistant State’s Attorney Maureen Ornousky about how exactly far to the woman’s dating back ground he could be in a position to get while protecting Santo.
Mastronardi said he desired to call witnesses to buttress his concept that the lady had made within the story concerning the assault that is sexual make her boyfriend jealous.
“My place is she managed to get up. I am maybe perhaps not attempting to soil her reputation, ” stated Mastronardi, adding that by doing this bid for envy, she dragged an innocent individual right into a charge that is criminal.
Mastronardi stated while attempting to alert law enforcement from the instance, perhaps the woman’s dad stated the jealous boyfriend “plugged Tony Santo involved with it. “
Mastronardi said your ex had comprised another severe allegation that is sexual someone else, but authorities decided on never to prosecute the so-called perpetrator of the intimate attack due to the fact story was so bizarre it might never be thought.
More witnesses will likely to be called in the event likely to take the remaining portion of the to decide week.