In October of 2022, state police “completed an investigation involving the sexual exploitation of a minor who previously resided at the Harwinton STAR home,” according to an arrest warrant obtained by NBC Connecticut.
“We were aware suspicious behavior was happening at the home,” said Harwinton First Selectman Michael Criss.
In a text message conversation, investigators say then 41-year-old Angel Rivera, of Waterbury, offered money to a 16-year-old girl who lived at The Bridge Family Center in Harwinton, in exchange for sexual favors.
“That’s over $400 I’m giving with the money I gave you last time,” said Rivera in a text, according to the arrest warrant. “I can’t wait to make love to you again.”
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The Bridge Family Center in Harwinton is contracted by the Department of Children and Families to provide temporary emergency housing for youth. DCF is investigating allegations of child maltreatment at the state-funded group home and a corrective action plan was issued in July.
“The problem is the facility is not a locked facility,” Criss said.
The Bridge Family Center Executive Director Margaret Hann said in a statement:
"Many young women and some young men are involved in Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) when they are placed with us. Unfortunately, there are those who continue to participate in that behavior while in our care. We are not a locked facility, but The Bridge staff do everything we can to stop our residents from engaging in this behavior. This individual was not our employee, but we may have played a role in his arrest. As our protocol dictates -- if one of our residents leaves with someone in an unknown vehicle, our staff, trained in DMST, try to persuade them from leaving. We also report the vehicle description and the license plate to law enforcement, who take the investigation from there."
Rivera was arrested in May 2023. He is facing a number of charges, including reckless endangerment and breach of peace in connection to a separate incident in Plymouth and is charged with commercial sexual abuse of a minor and enticing a minor. He pleaded not guilty to those charges.
“I really feel the way the model is set up, that we are failing our children and there is no hope to save these kids and it breaks my heart,” Criss said.
