Ex-Winsted school board member pleads not guilty

Shayne Deschamps charged with endangering child, violating court order

TORRINGTON — Not guilty pleas were entered April 5 for a former Winsted Board of Education member who is charged with risk of injury to a child based on accusations of an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl — and with violating a court order to stay away from her.

Defense lawyer Robert A. Salerno entered the “pro forma not guilty” pleas in state Superior Court in Torrington on behalf of Shayne A. Deschamps, who was arrested Feb. 17 on the risk charge and Feb. 28 on the charge of violating a court protective order.

Deschamps, 27, of Gilbert Avenue in Winsted, is free on $100,000 bail.

Salerno told Judge Brian W. Preleski in court Friday that Deschamps is on a “24/7 lockdown,” enforced with the aid of an ankle monitor. The defense lawyer said he plans to file a motion to relax those conditions so that Deschamps can return to work. Deschamps is next due in court May 10.

Several friends or former friends of the girl told authorities that she had disclosed to them that she was in a sexual relationship with Deschamps, according to an affidavit by Winsted police Detective James Crean.

Some of the witnesses also reported seeing a sexually explicit text message that they believed was from Deschamps to the girl, according to the detective.

But both Deschamps and the girl denied having a sexual relationship, the detective reported. Deschamps and the girl said she sent the text message from his phone

to hers to see whether her friends were snooping in her phone, the detective added.

Deschamps is charged with risk of injury to a child under a provision that does not necessarily involve sexual misconduct, and he is not charged with sexual assault.

The defense lawyer said after court Friday that he been unable to speak with the girl but added that it seems clear to him that she is not seeking the prosecution.

Deschamps’ second arrest came when a police officer pulled over his vehicle around 7 a.m. on Feb. 28 and found “the protected party” in the vehicle with him, Winsted Police Chief Christopher Ciuci said at the time. The chief also said that the protective order involved deals with “a juvenile female.”

Deschamps, a Democrat, was elected in November to the Winchester Board of Education but resigned in January.

“Due to unforeseen time constraints and personal issues, I cannot give the board the required time commitment that our students deserve,” Deschamps wrote in his Jan. 16 resignation letter.

Deschamps