The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Student pleads not guilty to sex assault
TORRINGTON » A Torrington High School student accused of sexually assaulting a fellow student pleaded not guilty in Litchfield Superior Court on Tuesday.
Andrew Cavallo-Gomes, 17, was arrested by Torrington police on April 18 after allegedly attempting to force a juvenile female to commit oral sex and coercing her to allow him to commit a sexual act, according to an affidavit seeking a warrant for his arrest.
He has been charged with attempt to commit first-degree sexual assault, illegal sexual contact with a victim under 16 and fourth-degree sexual assault, according to state records.
In court, Cavallo-Gomes was accompanied by his mother and attorney. His case was continued to July 28 at the request of his defense.
According to the affidavit, the female victim told an interviewer at the Center for Youth and Families in Torrington that Cavallo-Gomes attempted to lift up her skirt and touch her buttocks while the two were walking around inside Torrington High School on Dec. 6, 2016. Once the two had reached a stairwell, he continued the alleged assault and exposed himself, according to the affidavit.
The victim said she told Cavallo-Gomes “no” during each of these instances, according to the affidavit. She stopped his attempt to force her to perform oral sex by hitting him in the chest, according to the affidavit.
The charges of attempting to commit first-degree sexual assault and illegal sexual contact with a victim under 16 are both considered class B felonies, with a potential prison sentence of one to 20 years.
Fourth-degree sexual assault is considered a class A misdemeanor, with a possible sentence of up to a year in prison.
Torrington School Superintendent Denise Clemons issued a statement in the days following Cavallo-Gomes’ first court appearance in connection with these charges, saying that the district would not tolerate incidents like this at Torrington High School.
“As a school district, we do not and will not tolerate this type of conduct or any other inappropriate conduct toward any of our students,” Clemons said in a statement at the time. “We will hold accountable any students who engage in such behavior.”