Councilwoman’s husband faces molestation charges

Abuse allegedly took place when girlwas age 6 to 10

BELMONT — Authorities have charged the husband of Councilwoman Cathy Wright with six counts of child molestation, delivering a shock to this small mid-Peninsula community.

Scott Wright, 47, was arrested Aug. 7 and charged with four felony counts of committing a lewd act upon a child and two felony counts of continuous sexual molestation of a child under the age of 14, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Tuesday.

Wright is

accused

of molesting a girl multiple times from 1996 to 2000 when the girl was between the ages of 6 and 10, Wagstaffe said. The alleged victim came forward within the past couple months.

Wright pleaded not guilty to all the charges Friday in San Mateo County Superior Court and is free on $500,000 bail, the district attorney said.

Jeni Benelli, Wright’s former colleague on the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District board of trustees, said she was shocked and dismayed to learn of Scott Wright’s arrest. In four years together on the board, Benelli said she found Cathy Wright to be a virtuous, hardworking and devoted mother to three children.

“She’s a really honest, bright woman, and I’m really sorry to hear this,” said Benelli, whose impression of the Wrights was that of a close, loving family.

Cathy Wright was tapped in April 2014 to fill the seat of Christine Wozniak after the longtime councilwoman resigned. Wright did not file paperwork this month to compete in the November election to retain her post.

The councilwoman declined to comment on the case Tuesday, referring questions to the attorneys representing her husband.

“We are working to resolve the matter expeditiously and request that judgment be withheld until the legal process is completed,” attorney Braid Pezzaglia said in an email.

Cathy Wright began her political career as a member of the Belmont-Redwood Shores school board, where she served from 2003 to 2011. She works as a product marketing and operations manager for Informatica, a data integration company, according to her LinkedIn profile.

There is scant information about Scott Wright in public records and on social media sites.

Scott Wright is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 1 to set a date for a preliminary hearing.