‘Nocturnal Intruder’ Sentenced To Four Years

By Andrew Gorosko

The local man, known as the “nocturnal intruder,” whom police charged in a series of late-night Riverside burglaries involving child victims, has received a four-year prison sentence from a Danbury Superior Court judge.

In handing down the sentence January 27, Judge Patrick Carroll sternly criticized the actions of defendant Kennith J. Northrop, 29, of 86 Alpine Drive in the Riverside section of Sandy Hook. During the summers of 1997 and 1998, Northrop entered private properties late at night intending to secretly massage small children with vegetable oil.

 The families of two of Northrop’s young victims were present for the sentencing in the White Street courthouse.

Northrop pleaded “no contest” to charges of risk of injury to a minor, second-degree burglary, third-degree criminal trespassing and breach of the peace, with Judge Carroll entering findings of guilty to those charges. Another count of second-degree burglary against Northrop was not prosecuted.

On the risk of injury charge stemming from a June 29, 1997 arrest, Judge Carroll imposed a 10-year prison sentence, suspended after four years in prison, plus 20 years probation. On the second-degree burglary charge stemming from an August 5, 1997 incident, the judge imposed a consecutive suspended 10-year prison sentence, with five years probation.

Northrop received a concurrent six-month sentence on the breach of peace charge, and a concurrent three-month sentence on the criminal trespassing charge, according to court records.

Time which Northrop has spent in prison since last May will be subtracted from his four-year prison sentence. Last May 12, Judge Carroll raised Northrop’s bond from $50,000 to $350,000, a sum that Northrop could not meet, resulting in his going to prison. How much of Northrop’s remaining approximately 39-month sentence he will serve will depend on future decisions made by the state Department of Correction.

Northrop technically was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison, suspended after four years, and 20 years on probation. If he violates the terms of his probation, he could be ordered to serve the full 20-year sentence.

Judge Carroll placed many conditions on Northrop’s 20-year probation.

The probation conditions include that Northrop: be evaluated as a sex offender; be registered with the state sex offender registry for at least 20 years; have no contact with the victims of the crimes or their families; comply with AIDS testing; have no unsupervised contact with persons under age 18; have no possession or use of pornographic materials; have no employment requiring that he enter residences alone and have anyone who hires him informed of why Northrop must be supervised by a co-employee while he is in residences; submit to a psychiatric examination and follow all recommendations for treatment and medication; and abstain from the use of alcohol and drugs, among other conditions.

Assistant State’s Attorney Devin Stilson said February 1 the families of the victims had hoped that Northrop would get more time in prison than he received.

At the sentencing, Northrop appeared upset, according to Mr Stilson.

“He appeared angry. He declined an opportunity to address the judge or the victims,” the prosecutor said. The tone of the 30-minute proceeding was somber and serious, Mr Stilson added.

Mr Stilson termed the Northrop case “weird, unusual, bizarre.”

Northrop has admitted to authorities that he was intoxicated during the incidents in which he secretly entered private properties in Riverside late at night in an attempt to massage small children with vegetable oil. Riverside is a community situated along Lake Zoar, near Rochambeau Bridge on Interstate-84.

In a summer 1998 incident, police charged Northrop after he was found to have entered a tent at night in the yard of a Dock Drive residence. Inside the tent, a 13- and 14-year-old girl were camping out. Northrop reached inside the tent and touched one of the girls.

In a 1997 incident, Northrop went inside a house, entered a bedroom and picked up an infant. Northrop then walked outside and placed the baby on a lounge chair in preparation to massage the baby with vegetable oil. Northrop fled the scene after being discovered.

The nighttime entries by Northrop occurred in the area of Underhill Road, Bankside Trail, and Dock Drive. No physical injuries resulted from the incidents, according to police. The presence of vegetable oil at the crime scenes was the common link which police used to connect Northrop to the crimes.

 The nighttime incidents led Newtown police to boost surveillance in a frightened Riverside and conduct door-to-door interviews in a lengthy investigation which included help from state police and the FBI. Police suggested that residents form a neighborhood crime watch to keep an eye on suspicious activity.