Southington PD: 59-year-old man facing sex assault charges for alleged inappropriate contact with young girl

A 59-year-old New York man faces sexual assault and child endangerment charges for allegedly having inappropriate contact with a minor in Southington.

A New York man faces sexual assault and child endangerment charges for allegedly having inappropriate contact with a minor in Southington multiple times earlier this year.

Mark Angelier, 59, of Rhinebeck, New York, is scheduled to face a judge next week in New Britain Superior Court to answer to charges of fourth-degree sexual assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, risk of injury to a child and second-degree breach of peace, according to the Southington Police Department.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Southington police in September began investigating Angelier after being contacted by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families about a possible situation involving the sexual abuse or neglect of a juvenile female. The victim in July had told her doctor that Angelier made her uncomfortable by making inappropriate comments about parts of her anatomy, grabbing her leg under the table and holding her on his lap, the warrant affidavit said.

The girl underwent a forensic interview on Sept. 12 at the Greater Hartford Family Advocacy Center where she described an incident she said occurred sometime over the summer involving Angelier, who was known to her and her family, according to the affidavit. She said she was at her home and walked past the living room, where Angelier was sitting on the couch and he called her over, the affidavit said.

The girl told investigators Angelier allegedly pulled her onto his lap where she could feel his “private area” against hers and he would not let her go despite her saying “no” several times and squirming to get away, according to the warrant affidavit. The girl said she had to kick Angelier’s shin and use both of her elbows to force herself off of him and get away, police wrote in the affidavit.

When investigators asked the girl if Angelier had ever done anything similar in the past, she described an incident on Memorial Day when she was at her aunt’s house and Angelier pulled her onto his lap while other people were in the room, the warrant affidavit said. The girl said this incident was “not as aggressive” as the other one, but also told authorities that her aunt made a comment about her being too old to sit on Angelier’s lap, according to the affidavit.

During the forensic interview, the girl also described an incident over the summer when she, her family and Angelier were out to dinner at a restaurant on Queen Street where Angelier, who was sitting next to her, was allegedly “grabbing and tickling” her leg, the affidavit said. The girl alleges he moved his hand “up her leg and very close to her private area,” making her uncomfortable enough to get up and leave the table, according to the warrant affidavit.

The girl’s mother contacted police days after the interview and said her daughter had opened up to her about some of the allegations, the affidavit said. According to the mother, the girl described multiple incidents that she said happened at her home involving Angelier that made her feel “very unsafe, scared and uncomfortable,” the affidavit said. The mother said the girl was afraid of telling anyone about the allegations because she thought no one would believe her or that they would be mad at her for getting Angelier in trouble, according to the affidavit. The girl also told her mother she was afraid Angelier would be mad at her and that he had always told her to “be quiet,” the affidavit said.

The mother told police the girl has a fire safety ladder under her window that she recently admitted was there because she wants to be able to escape her bedroom in case Angelier is ever at her home and tries to come into her room, the affidavit said. The mother said the girl also asked for a camera to be placed outside of her bedroom so she can see if someone is in the hallway and that she gets anxious if she’s ever away from her cell phone, the affidavit said.

According to the warrant, Angelier initially scheduled an interview with police in late September before later telling investigators his attorney advised him not to speak with authorities.

Angelier posted a $50,000 bond following his arrest on Nov. 7 and is expected to appear in court next Friday.

Angelier’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.