Landlord Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography Involving Minor Victim Tenant

WATERFORD, CT - Court officials announced Monday a Waterford man has plead guilty to production of child pornography. The suspect has been in custody since May 19, 2016, when he was arrested on related state charges, according to a release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Connecticut State Police executed search warrants at the residence of Richard Bruno, 47, on May 5, 2016. Officers also searched his company’s warehouse, located at 19 Mountain Avenue in New London.

Investigators seized a hard drive at Bruno’s residence that contained 46 homemade videos depicting nine different females engaged in sexually explicit conduct, police said. Most of the videos depicted the suspect engaging in sex acts with the females, according to police.

One of the females was 17 years old at the time, police said. (To sign up for Waterford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Further investigation revealed that Bruno was the minor victim’s landlord. Police said the suspect met the minor victim in approximately November 2015, at which point she told him she was 17.

Police said Bruno videotaped the minor victim engaged in sexual acts with him at his company’s warehouse on four occasions. The suspect paid the minor victim in either marijuana or cash for each of these sessions, police said.

Police said Bruno communicated with the victim using the Kik instant messaging application. Analysis of the suspect’s cellphone revealed messages from him to the victim.

“If you wanted to play around I get you some mon[ey],” Bruno said in one message, according to a release. “Or if you let me film you for a little whi[le].”

Bruno faces a minimum term of 15 years in prison and a maximum term of 30 years when he is sentenced on July 31. The suspect also has agreed not to object to the forfeiture of his company’s New London warehouse, a multi-family residence he owns at 27 West Coit Street in New London and a van owned by his company.

A prejudgment remedy in the amount of $250,000 in the victim’s favor was also decided upon in a separate federal civil case on April 20.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

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