Sheriff McDonnell: A Moral Duty to Assure Our Public and the Inmates in Our Care; We Take These Allegations Very Seriously
Sheriff McDonnell: A Moral Duty to Assure Our Public and the Inmates in Our Care; We Take These Allegations Very Seriously
VIDEO OF NEWS CONFERENCE:
On Wednesday, September 13, 2017, allegations of criminal sexual misconduct in one of our jail facilities were made against a Department member. As a result of these serious charges, a deputy was arrested.
The deputy was identified as Giancarlo Scotti, a 31-year-old, ten-year veteran of the Department. He was charged with two counts of Rape Under the Color of Authority and two counts of Oral Copulation Under the Color of Authority, which also violated the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Scotti was transported to Norwalk Sheriff’s Station, where he was booked and released after posting his $100,000 bail. He was reassigned to his residence and placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.
Investigation into the circumstances began around 9:00 A.M., when a female inmate housed at the Century Regional Detention Facility reported the crime to an instructor who works at the facility. The woman reported being assaulted by a deputy in one of the dormitories. A second female inmate complained about a sexual assault, both which were alleged to have occurred during the early morning hours while the deputy was on duty.
Within five hours of the initial complaint, the scene was locked down to preserve potential evidence; custody command staff were notified; detectives assigned to the Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau responded to conduct an investigation; technicians from Scientific Services Bureau responded to review the scene and gather any evidence; and the deputy was notified and remained in the facility watch commander’s office.
The deputy was placed under arrest by the detectives as a result of compelling evidence collected at the current phase of the investigation. At this time, there is no indication or evidence any other personnel were involved.
“Criminal misconduct, especially criminal misconduct which preys upon a vulnerable population will not be tolerated. It will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Sheriff McDonnell. “We have a public obligation to follow the evidence and the facts, and a moral duty to assure our public and the inmates in our care that we take these allegations very seriously.”
