The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Former New Fairfield school worker ordered not to contact minors
Woman who worked as cafeteria aide charged with sexually assault, other counts
DANBURY — A judge has ordered the former New Fairfield Middle School cafeteria aide accused of sexually assaulting a student not to use social media and not to contact the victim or any other minors, other than her children, while she remains free.
Andie Rosafort — the 31year-old charged last week with second-degree sexual assault, enticing a minor by computer and risk of injury to a child in connection with an incident involving an underage boy — didn’t say a word during her Wednesday morning arraignment at state Superior Court in Danbury, during which Judge Robin Pavia issued a protective order at the state’s request.
The order prohibits Rosafort from using social media, as well as talking, threatening, abusing, harassing, following, interfering or contacting the victim in any manner. She must also stay at least 100 yards away from the victim.
“A violation of this order can result in a new arrest or a felony,” Pavia said.
The victim’s family attended Wednesday’s arraignment remotely with Attorney Gene Zingaro physically present in the courtroom to represent them. He said the family concurred with the state’s motion for a protective order.
Rosafort’s attorney, Jennifer Tunnard, told the judge not guilty pleas
would be entered in the case.
The three felony charges against Rosafort stem from a Jan. 13 incident, during which she allegedly had sexual intercourse with an underage boy, according to the warrant for her arrest.
Connecticut State Police launched an investigation Jan. 17, after a parent
complained to New Fairfield school administrators that “possible inappropriate behavior occurred between an employee of the school and a juvenile student,” according to the warrant for Rosafort’s arrest.
The school district placed Rosafort on leave immediately after learning of the incident and she
resigned from her parttime position the next day, according to Superintendent Kenneth Craw, who said Rosafort has not been allowed on school grounds since the district learned of the allegations.
According to state police, Rosafort had been exchanging private messages with a student through social media for several months. Authorities said she also sent unsolicited, sexually explicit images and videos of herself and requested images from the student as well.
The minor allegedly told investigators they were attending a party at a friend’s home on Jan. 13, when Rosafort asked to meet. According to state police, Rosafort picked up the victim, drove a short distance away and “had contact of a sexual nature with them inside of the SUV.”
State police said the minor felt uncomfortable, left the vehicle and “immediately returned” to the party.
As part of the investigation, detectives examined the victim’s phone and found “several screen recordings of videos on a social media platform containing explicit content and depicting an individual identified by investigators as Rosafort,” according to state police.
Investigators also examined Rosafort’s cellphone data and records from a social media account where they found “photos and videos consistent in appearance with those described by the victim,” said state police, who obtained a warrant for her arrest Feb. 17.
After turning herself in Feb. 20, Rosafort posted a $100,000 professional surety bond and was released from custody with conditions — one being that she cannot have contact with any minors other than her own children.
At Tunnard’s request, Pavia granted Rosafort permission to pick up and drop off her children at school if needed, as long as she stays in her vehicle.
Weeks before her arrest, Rosafort was reprimanded for her interactions with minors on social media, records showed.
In November, Craw said the district launched an investigation into a claim that Rosafort was communicating inappropriately with a minor. The investigation found no evidence of the accusation, but the district warned Rosafort in December not to text or contact students through social media, according to district records.
In a letter Craw submitted to the Board of Education in February, a staff member heard “a vague report of possible inappropriate messages between a minor” and Rosafort and notified school officials. The district also notified police and conducted its own investigation in which Rosafort “explained that she posts makeup videos online,” Craw said in his letter to the school board.
“The investigation did not produce any information that substantiated any inappropriate interactions between Ms. Rosafort and a minor,” Craw wrote.
New Fairfield Middle School Principal Karen Gruetzner issued a warning letter to Rosafort on Dec. 1, telling her that “caution should be exercised with how you communicate with students using social media, texting and messaging.”
New Fairfield Public Schools plans to hold a series of internet safety presentations for students in grades 4 through 12 on March 13. A parent workshop is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. that evening in the Consolidated/Meeting House cafeteria, Craw said.
Rosafort is scheduled to appear in court March 23.