Attorney Says Victim in Danscapes Case Is Moving On

The 17-year-old victim is 18 now. She attends an out-of-state college. And she is refocusing on her future and improving emotionally, thanks in part to counseling, her attorney said.

But her career dream to combine a passion for dance with an ambition for teaching is uncertain.

“She has given up dance. She doesn’t do it at all at this point,” said F. Thomas Pachler, a West Hartford attorney. “I don’t know if she is ever going to get back to it. She walked away from it.”

The teenager was not at Hartford Superior Court Wednesday when a Farmington dance teacher accused of sexual assault pleaded guilty to lesser charges under the Alford doctrine.

Jeffrey Sepa, 44, of 142 Oakland St. in Bristol, was sentenced to 18 months in jail, suspended after 16 days, for cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment, both misdemeanors. He will also be on probation for three years.

In March, to two counts of second-degree felony sexual assault. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that evidence exists that could lead to a conviction at trial.

“Everyone felt that this outcome was the best possible outcome given both the alleged victim’s allegations and Mr. Sepa’s position,” said Walter R. Hampton, Sepa’s attorney.

Judge Elpedio N. Vitale also ordered Sepa to perform 300 hours of community service, undergo a mental health evaluation, and have no contact with the victim, who graduated in June from Farmington High School.

Sepa, who , was a longtime instructor and co-owner at Danscapes, now called the Farmington Valley Dance and Music studio. He was in court with his wife and his mother.

The victim’s mother and grandmother were in court as well.

Attorneys in the case, including senior assistant state’s attorney Cathryn Krinitsky, began talking about a plea agreement in July, Pachler said. Krinitsky met with the victim in August before signing off on the deal.

Sepa was originally charged under a law that forbids coaches or instructors to engage in sexual intercourse with students under age 18. The teen was one of Sepa’s students for about 11 years, according to police.

“She did not want to testify. She did not want this to go to trial,” Pachler said. “But she made it clear to me and to the prosecutor that if she was required to testify, she would do so. And she said she would tell the truth.”

Pachler said the victim received counseling after the allegations surfaced. He said she struggled emotionally with some reactions in the community.

“She had to come to grips with the fact that some people didn’t believe her,” Pachler said. “She made the unfortunate decision to read some of the blog entries out there and it sent her into a tailspin for quite a while.”

Sepa may not perform community service that is related to his vocation. Hampton said the conditions of Sepa’s probation will place no restrictions on his ability to teach again.

“My client has been heartened by the support of the community. He’s had tremendous family support, but it’s been difficult for everyone involved,” Hampton said.

The arrest warrant for Sepa indicated an August 2010 to January timeframe for the alleged sexual relationship. Police requested an interview with the victim Feb. 8, acting on information from an unidentified source.

The victim told police she regarded Sepa as a best friend and a father figure.

“[Sepa] obviously knew better because he told her, ‘If you tell anybody, I’m going to go to jail,’” Pachler said. “He knew darn well what was going to happen.”

Sepa was expected to be jailed at the high-security Harford Correctional Facility.

Pachler said the victim chose her college for its strong reputation in her chosen fields.

“It was her goal to go to school and get certified as a teacher and also certified to teach dance,” Pachler said.

Pachler, who lives in Farmington, was because he has known the family for about 10 years.

“Right now she seems to be holding up pretty well,” Pachler said. “But it remains to be seen. I think she still regards him highly despite what happened and she has expressed concerns for his family. That’s not surprising. She was 17 years old. She has looked past his faults for whatever reason.”