Glastonbury Man Admitted to Paying for Sex With 'Boys' For Over 20 Years: Police

DANBURY, CT — Targeting those with mental health issues ranging from depression to schizophrenia, Robert King allegedly lured more than a dozen young men into a sex trafficking operation which lasted more than two decades, according to court documents.

Danbury police revealed Thursday that an investigation into a city-based sex trafficking ring has resulted in the arrests of three men who participated in the scheme. Court documents show that King was the ringleader of the operation, delivering young men to high-paying clients in a sex-for-money scheme.

Police also arrested well-known Glastonbury businessman Bruce J. Bemer, 63, and William Trefzger, 71, of Westport, who were identified as "clients" by King, court documents allege.

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"I'm just a gay guy trying to help people," King, 50, allegedly said to police at the time of his arrest on Aug. 13. Upon his arrest, King told investigators he only delivered the young men to "clients" during interviews.

Arrest affidavits allege King would identify young men with mental health needs and disorders and befriend them with promises of work, money and necessities.

The victims would hang out around King's trailer located near the Danbury Fair Mall for a period of time. Victims told police King would offer them drugs such as heroin and cocaine in order to build up a debt. When victims were unable to pay King back, he offered them a way out through sex work, according to court documents.

"Clients" would have King deliver the victims to them, and sometimes they would travel to his Miry Brook Road trailer for sex. They would pay the victim between $200 and $250 for sex, and King would get $50 of that price.

Bemer's attorney John Droney told Patch he could not make a substantive comment at this time, but said he is in the process of investigating the people who are making the charges.

"The charges are very serious and troubling," said Droney."I am in the process of investigating those who are making these charges, and will be able to comment further once that is complete."

Patch has yet to determine who is representing King and Trefzger, but will reach out for comment when we do.

The Victims

Through their investigation, detectives identified 15 victims of the ring. Two of the victims had conservators appointed for them. The ages of the victims was not expressly described in the documents.

Victims were identified as having a variety of mental health disorders, some being regarded as incapable of living on their own. Two of the victims were on probation and some lived in group homes.

Court records and media reports paint a bizarre picture of King's relationship with the young men. The News Times reports several neighbors at the mobile home park described King as having a "nasty temper."

Neighbors also reported loud music often coming from his trailer and boys coming in and out, often believed to be high on drugs. One neighbor described to the publication that one of the young men was seen “running around like he was pretending to be a bird.”

One victim told investigators he met King while he was searching dumpsters for bottles. King struck up a conversation and befriended him before offering him a place to stay. He later introduced the young man to cocaine, which led to him building up a debt, and then to Bemer.

Another recounted an incident in which he was suffering from an overdose and said King continued to drive from Waterbury to Torrington while the victim was overdosing.

The man described King’s actions as demonstrating “an extreme indifference to (the victim’s) life and resulted in the near death and overnight hospitalization of (the victim),” court records allege.

Two of the 15 victims identified in the investigation are no longer living, according to court records. During a search of King’s home, investigators found a “shrine” to one of the victims who was killed in a car crash in 2009. Both King and another victim told police they believed the young man’s death was a suicide.

The “Clients”

Court records show King connected victims with at least eight wealthy “clients” in Connecticut and Massachusetts. He referred to both Bemer and Trefzger were identified as clients in the investigation.

Bemer owns the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, New England Motor Sports and Glastonbury-based Bemer Petroleum. During an interview with police, Bemer said he has known King for 20 to 25 years and was delivering “kids” or “boys” to him for sexual services.

Bemer referred to the victims as “kids” or “boys” during the interview but told investigators that all were over the age of 18. He further told investigators he stopped having sex with one of the victims because “he got too old,” according to the arrest affidavit.

He allegedly told police that King brought him eight to 10 “boys” for sex, and he would pay between $200 to $250 per encounter. Victims told police that he would have them delivered to his home, hotel or office.

Trefzger, a Westport resident who was sentenced in 2010 for touching another man in a sexual manner, admitted to his involvement as well as knowing that one of the victims had mental problems that “caused hospitalization,” according to the affidavit.

According to Danbury police, both are charged with patronizing a trafficked person and are being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond. Police say additional arrests are expected in the case.

Image via Danbury Police