Man Enters Guilty Pleas In Vernon Teen Sex Assault Case

VERNON, CT — A man accused of sexually assaulting a Vernon teen then returning to her home during legal proceedings and eventually tampering with witnesses entered guilty pleas in cases revolving around the three instances on Friday, a clerk at Rockville Superior Court said.

Andy Pho, who was 21 when arrested in 2018, entered guilty pleas to three sets of charges, according to court records:

Set 1

• Third-degree sexual assault
• Illegal sexual contact with a victim younger than 16

Set 2

• First-degree criminal trespass
• Violation of a protective order

Set 3

• Witness tampering
• Violation of a protective order

He is facing up to eight years in prison and seemingly at least 40 months, a clerk at the courthouse said. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 7, records show.

Pho was initially arrested on Sept. 10 of last year on single counts of sexual assault in the first, third and fourth degrees, two counts of illegal sexual contact with someone younger than 16, second-degree unlawful restraint, and second-degree harassment, according to a report.

The case involves accusations of Pho forcibly touching a 15-year-old girl he had a relationship with, according to an arrest warrant.

He had been released on a $20,000 bond with a full no-contact protective order in place, records show.

He is accuszed of calling the girl on a Trac phone on Sept. 12 in an effort to arrange a meeting with her, according to a warrant. Testimony outlined in a warrant points to them meeting three days in a row with Pho apologizing but also telling the girl to make sure her father does not press charges.

The girl also told police that Pho kissed her during each meeting, despite her being uneasy about it and trying to pull away, according to a warrant.

He is also accused of "spamming" the girl's phone with text messages and calls, according to a warrant. Police uncovered 13 calls and 157 text messages from a seven-hour period on Sept. 15, according to a warrant.

At 7:04 p.m. that Saturday, police were dispatched to the the girl's Vernon home because Pho had shown up and would not leave, according to a warrant. After going to the house, Pho allegdly tried to enter the residence, was banging on a door and yelling through an open window for the girl to come outside and speak with him, according to a warrant.