Stafford Man In Custody On $500,000 Bond In Vernon Sex Assault Case

VERNON, CT — A Stafford man is in custody on a half-million-dollar bond while facing 45 criminal charges in connection with a sexual relationship with an underage girl, according to a warrant.

Jonathan Sauve, 36, is due for his second court appearance on Jan, 26, according to judicial system records. He is facing 15 counts each of second-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a child and illegal sexual contact with someone younger than 16, a warrant shows.

Vernon police began investigating Sauve in early December after a girl, who is now 15, told staffers at the Connecticut Department of Children and Families that she had been sneaking out of the house to meet with him, according to a warrant. Part of her motivation for calling was they had been caught by another adult after she skipped school to be with him one day and they both fell asleep, according to a warrant.

Sauve knew the girl from a previous relationship with an adult in the family, according to a warrant.

The warrant outlines several encounters the two had that involved the girl sneaking out of her house and meeting Sauve to either smoke pot during a "smoke ride" or have sex at locations in Vernon and Stafford.

Sauve even purchased a cell phone for the girl so they could communicate, according to a warrant. Sauve considered himself to be a"father figure" to the girl, according to testimony outlined in a warrant.

Sauve would help the girl sneak back into her house after they finished their encounters, according to a warrant.

Part of the investigation involved a search warrant through which several electronic devices were seized. According to the warrant, several conversations between the girl and Saive were uncovered.