Former Danbury Youth Counselor Troy Grant Given 20 Years

Troy Grant, a former youth counselor for the New Hope Baptist Church, Pathways Academy, Harambee and in one case for Superior Court, was sentenced to 40 years in prison, suspended after 20 years with 35 years of probation.

In what once reached 25 felony charges, Grant was charged with taking troubled city boys into his home, giving them alcohol, cigarettes and shopping trips, and convincing them, in some cases, to have sex with him. His victims were ages 14 to 17. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 14 to six counts of risk of injury to a minor, one count of second-degree sexual assault, illegal sexual contact with a minor and attempted illegal sexual contact with a minor.

Assistant State's Attorney Sharmese Hodge argued that because he failed to help the children who came to him for help, because he sexually assaulted them, because he let down the Danbury organizations, and he built a network of people to help him identify victims, he deserved the full sentence.

The sentencing argument before Judge Susan Reynolds focused on whether he would serve 12 or 20 years in prison, after being sentenced to 40 years.

Grant's special defender, Angelica Papastravos said she thought Grant lost control of what was happening to the children.  "He seems remorseful, and he's still concerned with the welfare of the kids."

Papastavros said part of the sentence deals with rehabilitation and part with punishment.

"He's already serving a life sentence. He'll be on the sex offender registry forever. He will never be able to have good employment. He will probably never be able to get a job at a McDonald's because children go in and out of McDonald's every day," Papastavros said. "I would suggest a 15-year sentence would be appropriate."

Grant's goal was supposed to be making sure urban kids were not lost to the streets, Hodge said.

"Read his confession, and he said, 'here's what I did and what's the big deal?'" Hodge said. "Nowhere in the pre-sentence investigation has he waivered from that cavalier attitude. He never acknowledged what he did. He had a network that identified boys in crisis for him."

He had sexual relations with nine kids, and, "He forever shook their lives," Hodge said. "He sought out the weakest of the weak."

Grant speaking in his defense, stood behind the defendant's table in his orange prison suit.

"I am remorseful," Grant said. "I would like to ask for the judge's grace and mercy."

Grant said he wanted to help, and the only reason he was going into the streets to find these children was because that's where they were. It was his job to go out and find them.

"I'm seen as a stalker and pedofile," Grant said. He said he didn't have any compaints about his work and service in other towns before he came to Danbury. He said he failed to reach his own goals or the goals of the organizations where he worked.

One parent, identified as David B., said he approached Pathways about Grant's behavior when he heard about it.  He said he was reassured by a supervisor that she'd known Grant for years and the allegations were untrue.

"I shook that man's hand. He felt he had carte blanche to continue what he'd been doing after that," the parent said. "What's to stop him from continuing this behavior once he's released from prison?"

Superior Court Judge Susan Reynolds said Grant did the worst thing he could have done in his situation. These kids had not one sticking up for them. They had no place to stay except at Mr. Grant's house, and they could say there as long as they kept Mr. Grant happy.

If it wasn't for the plea deal, Judge Reynolds said she would certainly have sentenced Grant to more than 20 years in prison. You are a stalker Reynolds said. You are a pedofile. You're saying the court sent one of these victims to you? It's the fault of these organizations for trusting you? You apologize for not achieving your goals?