On Tuesday Greenwich Police reported they had arrested a suspect from Massachusetts who arrived in Greenwich believing he was going to be having sex with a juvenile child.
Detectives from the Department’s Special Victims Section had been engaged for several weeks in an internet undercover sexual predator investigation. The suspect believed one of the detectives was a 13-year old
female and began extensive conversations which included him sending explicit text messages indicating specific sex acts he wanted to engage with what he believed was a juvenile child.
The suspect also sent explicit photographs of male genitalia to the undercover investigator and communicated his desire to travel to Greenwich in order perform sex acts.
A meeting was arranged for October 3, 2021 and the suspect subsequently arrived at the agreed upon location in Greenwich where he was arrested without incident by Greenwich Police.
Found in the suspect’s possession at the time of the arrest was a cell phone used to communicate with the believed minor child, in addition to marijuana he had offered to smoke with the believed child, and a box of condoms.
The accused is identified as John Cesarini, 36, of Abington, MA.
Mr. Cesarini was charged with Criminal Attempt at Sexual Contact with a Victim Under the Age of 16 (CGS 53a-49/53-21(a)(2)); Criminal Attempt at Sexual Assault 2nd Degree (CGS 53a-49/53a-71); and Criminal Attempt at Enticing a Minor By Computer (CGS 53-49/53a-90a(a)).
Cesarini was held on a $750,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on October 18, 2021.
“Greenwich Police continues its efforts to protect vulnerable members of our community from child predators. Our
Special Victims Section is at the forefront of initiatives to keep our children safe, however we urge parents to remain
vigilant and monitor their children’s online activity and who they engage with through phone, text, email and social
media. We will remain proactive in addressing threats and encourage the community to keep us aware of suspicious activity,” said Deputy Chief of Police Robert Berry in a release.
If you believe that you or someone you know is the victim of inappropriate online sexual activity in Greenwich or if you have any information concerning this investigation, please contact the Greenwich Police Special Victims Section at (203) 622-8030.