Warrant reveals details of sexual abuse of Weston boy
GUILFORD — A Church Street resident accused of enticing and grooming a minor he met on Snapchat was overheard on one of his cameras discussing sleeping naked next to the 14-year-old Weston boy and kissing the victim in his car, according to the warrant for his arrest.
John Degennaro, 59, was charged last week with risk of injury to a minor and enticing a minor. Degennaro was originally held on $250,000 bond, but he has since been released and is due in court on March 27, judicial records show.
According to the arrest warrant, the investigation began Feb. 14 after a social worker in Weston notified police that the victim's classmates said the boy had been picked up by a man who brought him to his Guilford home.
The warrant said the boy was interviewed by police in Weston, but was initially reluctant to talk about the man.
After seizing the boy's phone and IPad, police found photos that were taken at Degennaro's house and location data confirmed he had been there, according to the warrant. Police said they also found text messages between the boy and a friend with the victim describing Degennaro as a “friend with benefits,” the warrant said.
A background check showed Degennaro has a criminal record in Connecticut and New York, although none of his convictions involved crimes against children, the warrant stated.
During an interview with Guilford police, the boy said he met Degennaro on Snapchat and they shared nude photos of each other, the warrant said.
The warrant said the victim told police Degennaro paid for him to take an Uber to the New Haven train station where the man would pick him up and drive him to his Guilford apartment.
The boy said Degennaro took him to the Clinton Premium Outlets shopping center where he bought him ice cream and shoes before getting a pizza for them to watch a movie together at his apartment, the warrant said.
The warrant said the two met a second time and Degennaro brought the victim to Westfarms mall where he bought him two Apple AirTags and Beats headphones.
The boy said he stayed at Degennaro's apartment those two nights, but said nothing physical happened, the warrant stated.
However, police seized cameras from Degennaro's home and vehicles in which they found footage of the Guilford man talking about sleeping naked next to the victim and audio of them kissing, the warrant stated.
Degennaro declined to be interviewed by police, but asked them, “how many victims” were involved in their case, the warrant stated.