CT man sentenced to probation after prosecutors drop child sexual assault charges in plea deal
A New Britain man was sentenced to probation in connection with allegations of sexual and physical abuse toward a juvenile following a plea deal.
A New Britain man was sentenced to probation on Tuesday in connection with allegations of sexual and physical abuse toward a juvenile family member.
Hector Colon, 52, faced sentencing in New Britain Superior Court after previously taking a plea deal that included pleading guilty to one felony count of risk of injury to a minor in exchange for sexual assault charges being dropped.
The seven-year prison sentence handed down was fully suspended, and a judge sentenced him to three years of probation. Under the terms of the plea deal, Colon will not have to register as a sex offender, though his probation officer may require him to undergo sex offender evaluation and treatment, Judge Maureen Keegan informed him.
State prosecutors noted during the hearing that the plea bargain was not indicative of the seriousness of the allegations, which involved “years of sexual, psychological and physical abuse,” but rather of the state’s lack of confidence that Colon would be convicted after a trial. A jury had already been selected and the matter was slated to go to trial before a last-minute plea deal was reached, prosecutors said.
Colon’s matter had been pending since he was arrested by members of the New Britain Police Department in March 2019.
During the hearing Tuesday, the victim, who is now in her 20s, spoke before the court and outlined in detail the lasting effects Colon’s alleged behavior has had on her. She said it brought about many sleepless nights and anxiety to the point where she thought she was dying of a heart attack. The trauma she endured was so hard to deal with that she tried taking her own life at one point, she said.
“I was a child and he knew that,” the victim said.
According to court records, the allegations date as far back as 2015, and the victim said Tuesday that she first came forward about what she had gone through in November 2018, leaving Colon’s voice “on repeat” in her head for the past five years.
“He became and is a predator,” she said.
“He was supposed to protect me from people like him,” the woman said, adding that instead, Colon took her innocence from her for his pleasure day after day.
The emotional wounds the victim suffered have left her in constant fear and unable to be intimate without experiencing post-traumatic stress. She hates the holidays because of what Colon’s behavior did to her family, destroying any unity they had and forcing family members to take sides.
“I survived, so I am taking my life back one day at a time,” the victim said.
“I am no longer his victim.”
The woman said the trauma left her “broken” and “wounded” and serves as motivation for her to help others who are dealing with similar issues.
“When people doubt and dismiss you, do not stay silent,” she said. “I will never be silenced again.”