WATERTOWN [Dash] Police are investigating two more allegations of sexual abuse involving David G. Stanco, the former choir director at United Methodist Church in Watertown and organist and religious education teacher at St. Thomas Parish in Thomaston.
Stanco, 57, of 143 Pine Hill Road, Thomaston, was arraigned in Bantam Superior Court last week on charges he sexually abused a 15-year-old boy for more than a year. Since then, two grown men have come forward to Watertown police with their own allegations, said police spokesman Lt. Mark Raimo. He said police are investigating whether the allegations fall within the statute of limitations.
Stanco's arrest was initiated by Rey Michaud, 42, of Plymouth, who said he was sexually abused by Stanco more than 100 times between the ages of 12 and 16. Watertown police determined that too much time had passed to pursue charges in that case, but Michaud has hired a lawyer to pursue a civil action against Stanco.
According to Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Eva Lenczewski, allegations as old as Michaud's, which date back to the 1980s, fall under the laws at the time the crime occurred. In the 1980s, she said, there was no special clause for sexual assault victims in the statute of limitations, which then allowed victims of a crime only five years to come forward to police, unless the crime was a capital offense or a class-A felony, which can be prosecuted indefinitely.
The law has been changed several times since then, Lenczewski said, including the addition of a sexual abuse of a minor clause.
Under the current law, children who are victims of sexual abuse have 30 years after their 18th birthday to speak with police, or five years to pursue the allegations after they are reported to authorities, with the exception of the most serious offenses. Connecticut has the longest window of opportunity of any state for the prosecution of sexual abuse against children, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime.
Stanco was the adult choir director and organist at United Methodist Church for about 10 years, until late March, when he requested a leave of absence, said the Rev. Paul Hibbard.
Stanco taught the religious education course for youth from September 2008 until May 2009 at St. Thomas Parish in Thomaston, and was also the adult choir director and organist at the church from 2003 until recently, and said the Rev. John Gatzak, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Hartford.
“He was not invited back (to the teaching position) because the sister who was in charge of the program did not like his teaching style,” Gatzak said.
He said an announcement was printed in St. Thomas Parish's bulletin last weekend informing parishioners of Stanco's arrest and pledging full cooperation with the police in their investigation. The statement also urged worshippers to help police if they have any information about the alleged abuse. If they were themselves victimized, they were asked to contact the Rev. Robert J. Grant, the church's administrator, or Sister Mary Kelly, director of the office of Ministry for Healing and Assistance.
The Ministry for Healing and Assistance was created in 2002 as part of the church's outreach to victims of sexual abuse by a member of the clergy, a volunteer or a member of the church, Gatzak said.

thanks for the update Rey, don't you stop til this f**ker is down and locked away for good!

Good luck on the civil suit Rey! Get the S.O.B.!

thanks for the update Rey, don't you stop til this f**ker is down and locked away for good!