The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Man, 28, charged in sex assault of teen
MIDDLETOWN — A 28-yearold Washington Street man charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl claimed the two engaged in horseplay one evening this summer, during which the victim flirted with him, leading him to “give in” to his desires, according to Middletown police.
On July 31 just after midnight, a man and woman walked into police headquarters to report a 15year-old they knew had been sexually assaulted. The victim, who police said “appeared to be in a daze,” said the incident had taken place at 10 p.m. when she and Donye Bunch were lying on an air mattress head to toe after playing a video game, according to court documents.
The teen reportedly told authorities she and Bunch were watching funny videos on their phones when Bunch began to touch her thigh, something she thought nothing of because he often “roughhoused with her.” Bunch then allegedly put his hands in her shorts and touched her while an infant was in the room.
The teen reportedly told police Bunch asked if she was OK and she told officers “her mind and body shut down and she didn’t know what to do or say.” She said there had been no prior abuse but that Bunch had made inappropriate comments, such as dreaming he was her boyfriend, and had “played with her ears and rubbed her head” in the past, court documents said.
The victim said Bunch and she exchanged Facebook messages during which he apologized twice
for the incident.
On Aug. 1, Bunch came into the station and told officers the two had been playing the Call of Duty videogame then played with their phones, the warrant said. He alleged the victim and he wrestled during which she took his hat away and talked about her short shorts, and at one point, she had his arm locked between her thighs. He tried to pull away unsuccessfully, which is when the inappropriate contact took place, court documents said. Bunch told police he asked if she was OK and the victim said she was.
“This is when I gave in to this,” Bunch reportedly said to police.
Bunch said he went outside to have a cigarette and later the victim texted him, saying, “What happened shouldn’t have happened,” the report alleged. “I assumed (she texted that) because I left and she was feeling guilty,” the warrant said.
On Aug. 28, Bunch again arrived at the station to explain to authorities the encounter after he claimed the victim flirted with him repeatedly in a sexual manner and “inched closer to him” while they horsed around, according to the warrant.
He allegedly told officers that when he asked if what he was doing was OK, she said yes. “I wanted to come tell the truth because I feel really bad about this. I don’t want to live a lie and try to block this out of my mind. I regret this and it was a mistake,” the warrant said.
Bunch was arrested Oct. 3 and charged with seconddegree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor, both felonies. He was issued a no-contact order and released on a $50,000 bond for a Nov. 9 appearance in State Superior Court in Middletown.
Bunch has a case pending on disorderly conduct charge stemming from a Sept. 1 incident for which he is out on a $2,500 bond. On Oct. 14, Bunch was arrested on charges of third-degree assault, second-degree breach of peace and interfering with an emergency call. He was released on $5,000 bond for those charges.
Bunch is due back in court Nov. 9.