A former University of Connecticut employee has been arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
According to an arrest warrant, Zachary Amarante, 22, was allegedly having sexual communications with the teen over Snapchat.
Investigators said the alleged sex assault happened in Woodstock on Sept. 18. In text and social media conversations, the two referred to each other as boyfriend and girlfriend, the warrant states.
The two had been having conversations for about a month before the incident. During their investigation, police noted that Amarante claimed he was employed as a senior administrative assistant at the time.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
The girl told investigators that Amarante claimed to be someone else named Mark. She and Amarante met up on six different occasions, according to the warrant.
"The texts back and forth are clear that he knew her age and continued to engage," the warrant reads.
Connecticut State Police said Amarante was taken into custody on Thursday at his workplace.
Local
A UConn spokesperson confirmed that Amarante has been an office administrative assistant since September, and his status is currently under review.
He faces charges including three counts of sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor. Amarante is being held on a $500,000 bond.
