East Lyme ― Police arrested a Niantic man on Thursday on charges he purchased, supplied and smoked marijuana with a group of East Lyme Middle School girls.

Danilo Vescovi, 52, of 52 Bush Hill Drive in Niantic was charged with five counts each of distribution or sale of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance to a person under the age of 18 and risk of injury to a minor.

Police said their investigation started in February when they were alerted by the state Department of Children and Families that a middle school student had told school counselors that Vescovi had supplied her and others with marijuana. The alleged victims ranged in age from 13 to 15.

Vescovi told police he often chatted with the group of five by text message and would take them for weekly rides to go shopping, to local parks and beaches and admitted smoking marijuana with them, according to the affidavit for his arrest warrant. Vescovi said the girls’ parents knew they were with him and the parents had, at times, also supplied marijuana to the girls.

One of the victims interviewed by police said the rides with Vescovi recently had been getting “weird,” with Vescovi talking about himself in sexual ways or about his sexual encounters, according to the the arrest warrant. The girls did not allege they were sexually abused in any way.

Vescovi is free after posting a $150,000 bond and is scheduled to appear April 20 in New London Superior Court. Police said the case was investigated with the assistance of Waterford police and DCF.