Bethel Police Arrest Newtown Man

On Sex-Related Charges

BETHEL — On May 20, Bethel police detectives arrested a Newtown man, charging him with three offenses after he had allegedly engaged in sexually oriented conversations with two Bethel girls whom he had met via an Internet  website.

Bethel police charged Eric Bassett, 25, of 80 Birch Hill Road, with risk of injury to a minor, attempted risk of injury to a minor, and attempted second-degree sexual assault, said Detective Tom Murphy. Bassett is an active duty soldier in the US Army, the detective said.

“It was determined that Bassett had several conversations with two Bethel [female] juveniles…through the website called MySpace.com,” Det Murphy said. The girls were 13 years old when the incident started, he said.

“[Bassett’s] conversations with these juveniles were, at times, reportedly of a sexual nature. Further, it was determined that Bassett met with and had contact with one of these females on at least one occasion in Bethel,” Det Murphy said in a statement.

The initial contact on the Internet resulted in many telephone calls among the parties involved, he said. Bassett eventually met the two girls face-to-face, the detective said. Det Murphy declined to provide specifics on their interaction.

When they arrested Bassett at his Newtown home on May 20, Bethel police executed a search-and-seizure warrant there, resulting in the seizure of computers and related items, Det Murphy said. 

Police held Bassett on $50,000 bail for arraignment on the charges on May 22 in Danbury Superior Court.