Who needs Hollywood writers when the Norwalk Police Department provides the storyline of the decade. If it’s about sex, somewhere, somehow, the simple act of criminal investigation gets derailed. Let’s rewind that allegorical video tape.
First we open with the Pagano Seafood, porn on computer shown to child in summer youth jobs incident. The NPD’s role in this was quite simple, investigate whether there was porn on a computer and whether it was shown to a minor. Pretty simple eh? But what happened? According to the police incident report, porn was found and then ….. nothing. Conspire your own conspiracy theories here, but keep in mind that politically connected individuals were in such cover their own asses on this that they failed to see the bigger picture here. Of course it always helps if people try to do the right thing in the first place, but I digress.
Then we had the Massage Parlor Brothel fumbling into ecstasy issues. You may remember it went along the lines of, police conduct a raid, prosecutors complained they couldn’t prosecute because the investigation paperwork was improperly submitted by the NPD. How hard is it to conduct a raid, uncover prostitution, make arrests and help secure an effective prosecution. But no, instead the prosecutors had to drop the case because the NPD didn’t bother to send them the police reports before the deadline.
And today we have John Nickerson breaking the latest flag in the line of red flags concerning how the NPD investigates sex crimes.
The state’s attorney’s office in Stamford is exploring allegations that the head of the police department’s youth bureau impeded their investigation of former police Lt. Thomas Cummings, who has been accused of having sex with teenage boys.
Another veteran lieutenant also is under investigation amid allegations that he downloaded pornography on at least one police department computer.
Police sources with knowledge of the case said Sgt. Stephen Couture, a 23-year department veteran, is being investigated for immediately informing Cummings on Oct. 26 that a complaint had been filed accusing him of having sex with a 15-year-old Weston boy.
State’s Attorney David Cohen at state Superior Court in Stamford would not confirm whether his office is conducting an investigation.
As head of the youth bureau, Couture was in charge of supervising and conducting sexual assault investigations involving underage kids.
Police sources asked for anonymity because departmental policy prohibits them from speaking to the news media about the investigation.
Cummings, who until the end of October headed the police department’s detective bureau, was charged last week with three counts of enticing a minor, two counts of second-degree sexual assault and three counts of risk of injury to a minor.
He faces a maximum 115 years in prison for allegedly having sex with two 15-year-old boys at his Dreamy Hollow condominium and trying to have sex with another, according to three arrest affidavits. Cummings, who resigned Feb. 1, is free on $75,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 14.
Police Chief Harry Rilling said that he preferred not to comment and would not confirm whether an investigation involving Couture is taking place in Stamford.
While acknowledging that he has heard the allegations made against Couture, Rilling said: “At any time, if we receive information that there has been criminal activity or department violations, we do a complete investigation and take the appropriate action.”
Rilling would not comment on Couture’s current posting, except to say that he is taking time off for vacation.
But department sources said Couture’s command has been stripped and he was reassigned out of the youth bureau, which investigates serious crimes by or against children.
Couture, who was promoted to sergeant in June 1991, packed up his office last weekend and may be taking the next month off to study for an upcoming lieutenants’ examination, one source said.
Reached by phone yesterday, Couture said he had no comment on the allegations.
With advanced warning given by Couture on Oct. 26 - three days before the rest of the department was made aware of the allegations on Oct. 29 - Cummings may have destroyed computer and other evidence pointing to his guilt, police sources with knowledge of the investigation said.
Cummings’ condominium at 41 Wolfpit Ave., Norwalk, was searched on Nov. 1, by an inspector in the state’s attorney’s office in Stamford and a police department deputy chief, according to court records.
Cummings’ personal computer was seized along with 143 VHS tapes and 110 DVDs containing teenage males and males in their 20s engaged in sex acts, the affidavit said.
Messages left with Cummings’ attorney, Bob Frost, were not returned yesterday.
As a result of the allegations against Couture, investigators in the Stamford assistant state’s attorneys office stumbled upon pornography downloaded on at least one police department computer allegedly by Lt. Michael King, sources in the department said.
Gee what a surprise porn on computers in the police department. And no one knew about it until after Stamford investigators uncover it. I’m sure Rilling is shocked, simply shocked that there’s this activity in his department. Just like he was absolutely sure, that his people were investigation the spas and the pagano case correctly. Are there other cases like this? The rumor mill is rife with them. I suspect that further investigations will unravel the rest of the details and it doesn’t look good.
source: Officer investigated for conduct in teen sex case, By John Nickerson, February 8 2008
