One Suspect in Torrington Sex Assault Case Due in Court

Police arrested a 17-year-old student Wednesday in connection with an incident in January.

One of the four Torrington High School football players arrested in connection with a sexual assault case appeared in Litchfield Superior Court on Tuesday and he is due bcak in court on Friday. 

Edgar Gonzalez, 18, is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in January.

He is in the process of hiring a new attorney out of Bridgeport, according to court officials. He was unable to post a $65,000 bond in the case.

His family and friends left the court on Tuesday without commenting on the case.

Gonzalez and Joan Toribio, also 18, were charged in the case.

Toribio also faces sex assault charges involving a second 13-year-old girl. Both victims are Torrington Middle School students.

Gonzalez's lawyer, J. Patten Brown III, said the allegations against his client appear to involve consensual, but statutorily illegal, sex.  A message was left for Toribio's attorney.

Another 17-year-old suspect is a Torrington High School student, according to Ken Traub, chairman of the Board of Education. The teen, who was not identified because of his age, is charged with second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

The most recent arrest is of another a 17-year-old football player.

This case has rocked the community and one victim has been threatened through social media, which forced school administrators to send out a letter to parents warning that students could be suspended, or even expelled, for cyber bullying.
 
“This problem is a serious problem, but it’s a community-based problem,” Kenneth Traub, of the Torrington Board of Education, said.

"Where's the safety in our town?" Debbie Sliwa, a parent asked. "Where's the upbringing in our parents? Where's the respect?"

. The paperwork in the case remains sealed. His mother and other family and friends left court without comment.

Police said they continue to work closely with Torrington's Superintendent of Schools regarding the case and more arrests could happen.

In the wake of the arrests last week, there were allegations of cyber-bullying aimed at a victim. The superintendent warned that inappropriate comments made against a student or staff member could lead to punishment, including possible expulsion.

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