Vernon Man Accused of Raping Teenager

VERNON, CT — A Vernon man has been charged with first-degree sexual assault and other crimes for what is described in an arrest warrant as a brutal encounter with a teenager.

A 14-page warrant was served on 36-year-old Geoffrey Shea Thursday. The warrant charged him with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault and illegal sexual contact with a victim younger than 16.

He was being held on a $1 million bond and was to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Friday, police said.

He was "30 or 31" at the time of the alleged rape, the warrant states. The victim is 18 now but was 13 at the time of the encounter in 2013, according to the warrant.

Family members had approached police shortly after the incident but the girl was hesitant about speaking to police and the investigation was closed without an arrest. Shea was married to her sister and was frequently threatening toward family members, according to the warrant.

The girl recently opened up about her encounters with Shea and family members asked police to reopen the investigation, according to the warrant.

According to the warrant, Shea was becoming more aggressive toward the girl physically and what started as a forced kiss turned into various instances of contact and restraint.

According to the warrant, the girl overslept one morning at the family house. She had been in the basement and was heading upstairs when Shea, who was at the house, grabbed her arm, pulled her down the stairs, restrained her and raped her, according to the warrant.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel