Harrison and Brewster Men Among Child Predator Suspects Arrested in Connecticut

Written by VINCENT SALZO (Patch Staff)

A Harrison man and a Brewster man were among 10 men, from ages 19 to 64, who were arrested as part of an undercover operation by Fairfield, CT police in which the men allegedly went to a Fairfield house expecting to have sex with a minor, according to the Connecticut Post.

The Post reports that the sting, which started last Thursday and ran through the weekend, was run parallel to one conducted by former Dateline NBC journalist Chris Hansen of “To Catch a Predator” fame for a new show he is preparing called “Hansen vs. Predator.”

The men all allegedly had contact with someone they believed was either a 13-year-old boy or a 12-year-old girl via the Internet and text messages and went to the Fairfield home, which was offered to Hansen by a friend for the sting operation, according to the Post.

Arrested on charges of enticing a minor, criminal attempt at second-degree sexual assault and criminal attempt at risk of injury or impairing the morals of a minor was Michael G. Gentile, 64, Shawe Valley Lane, Brewster, according to the Post. Arrested on a charge of criminal attempt at risk of injury or impairing the morals of a minor was Michael Manzi, 32, Haviland Street, Harrison.

Five Connecticut men were arrested in the operation, including Charles E. Lawrence, 59, Plesko Place, Fairfield; Jesse Velez, 28, Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport; John M. Dupee, 40, Dover Street, Norwalk; Stephen P. Buchanan, 27, Belair Terrace, Stratford; and David N. Tiriolo, 31, East Village Road, Shelton, according to the Post.

For the full list of arrests and charges, read the story at the Connecticut Post here.

Patch Editor Alfred Branch contributed to this report.