A former DCF social worker is accused of possessing child pornography
A state Department of Children and Families social worker has been arrested under suspicion of possessing child pornography and is no longer on the job.
Police started investigating in February 2015 and arrested 56-year-old Luis Rivas-Vasquez Thursday after seizing computer equipment from his Hamden home and finding 13 movie files of suspected child pornography, according to a news release from police.
“The Department has high professional and ethical standards for all its 3,400 employees, particularly for those who have contact with children and we are disturbed by these allegations. When we learned of the arrest of one of the Department’s social workers, we took immediate action, including ensuring he is no longer on the job and seizing his state computer which will be made available to law enforcement. In addition, although we have not received complaints regarding his treatment of children in the course of his work, we nevertheless are conducting a full assessment of that question,” a statement from DCF says.
DCF did not identify Rivas-Vasquez in the statement, but later said the statement is regarding the arrest of Rivas-Vasquez.
Rivas-Vasquez turned himself in at the Hamden Police Headquarters on May 31.
Rivas-Vasquez retired before DCF learned of his arrest and therefore was not subject to any disciplinary measures by the department, according to a DCF spokesman.
He was charged with possession of child pornography and his bond was set at $35,000.
NBC Connecticut went to Rivas-Vasquez's home Friday and no one answered the door.
