A New London man charged with strangling, beating and tying up his young stepson as punishment is now facing punishment of his own ― a possible 18-year prison sentence for his alleged crimes.

The offer from the court in exchange for a guilty plea, according to the boy’s new guardian, was conveyed to 43-year-old Michael Gregor on Tuesday during his appearance in New London Superior Court. He will have an undetermined amount of time to consider the offer.

Assistant State’s Attorney Christa Baker, who is prosecuting the case and proposed a stiffer sentence for Gregor, called it “the most cruel and heinous case of child abuse I’ve ever encountered.”

“I’m just thankful the children are in a good place now and doing well,” Baker said.

Gregor was first arrested by New London police on Jan. 29, 2023, as part of an investigation into a domestic dispute surrounding drugs with his wife, Melissa Gregor, at the couple’s apartment on State Street.

Police entered the couple’s 147 State St. apartment to find squalid and inhumane living conditions and three children living there, including a 10-year-old boy locked inside one room that was empty except for a layer of plastic on the floor and a blanket. The boy told police he had not showered and had been wearing the same clothes for weeks, police reports show.

Malnourished and limping with signs of hair loss and trauma, the boy would reveal that over the past several months he had been severely abused, tied up, struck with a wooden board and locked in a closet by Michael Gregor.

The victim described one incident where he was “hogtied” with both hands and feet tied up and placed in a cabinet and another time when he was grabbed around the neck and “hoisted into the air,” the affidavit for his arrest warrant states.

Police said the boy had a badly swollen “cauliflower” ear, which he said was from repeatedly being “stomped on his head while he was bound in the closet.”

Taken to the hospital for treatment, the boy was found to have multiple traumas throughout his body, healing rib fractures and was malnourished.

The couple, who had been living in Norwich, had moved to New London, where police said the victim was “home schooled,” to hide his injuries, police reports show. The victim claims his mother had at one time stuffed socks into his mouth. She also faces felony assault and risk of injury to a minor charges.

April Jacobson of East Lyme, the paternal aunt of two of the boys, has taken the two brothers in and is in the process of legally adopting them.

“I always tell them I don’t care what you call me as long as you know I love you,” Jacobson said. “They call me mom.”

Jacobson said the 10-year-old, who she has stayed close to since the day he was born, went from 65 pounds while in the hospital to a healthy 143 pounds.

“All he needed was food and love,” Jacobson said.

Jacobson said while she and other family members had stayed in contact with the children through the years, there was a nearly year-long period of time when Melissa and Michael Gregor were moving from hotel to hotel and blocking contact with family.

Both of the boys, who were afraid of being touched after what Jacobson described as their “rescue,” are still in therapy. She said they are now in a loving household.

“They are the most wonderful little boys. I can’t imagine what would cause somebody to lay their hands on a child,” she said. “The things they did to this kid...”

Jacobson said she will be satisfied with a prison sentence that includes an order that bars the Gregors from contact with the children and keeps them in prison long enough for the children to enjoy their childhood without fear.

g.smith@theday.com