Former Waterford Country School employee to serve up to 9 months for sex with teen
A former employee of the Waterford Country School pleaded guilty Tuesday in New London Superior Court to having an illegal sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy who had resided at the school and attended a life-skills program she supervised.
Nicole Souza, 38, of Stonington will be sentenced Sept. 9 to six to nine months in prison, followed by five years' probation for risk of injury to a minor.
Souza had worked at the school for children with educational, emotional and behavioral issues for 13 years, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. She was fired prior to her arrest by state police in October 2018.
Following the arrest, Souza posted a $50,000 bond and attended court nine times while her attorney, Carmine J. Giuliano, presented information about her mental and medical issues and attempted to work out a plea deal with prosecutor Theresa Anne Ferryman.
Under the agreement Souza accepted Tuesday, Judge Hillary B. Strackbein will listen to arguments from the attorneys before deciding whether to impose a prison term of between six and nine months.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, state police from Troop E began investigating after the victim, who was in the care of the Department of Children and Families, was taken by ambulance to The William W. Backus Hospital on June 14, 2018, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.202 percent.
The woman who had called the ambulance after the boy became ill from drinking reported she also had seen "sexual behavior" between him and Souza at her Griswold home that afternoon. The woman said Souza apologized to her for her involvement with the boy, saying she was "having a tough time at home and that she took things too far."
Souza had picked up the boy in Norwich, went swimming with him at Glasgo Pond in Griswold and then to a home in Griswold, where they drank screwdrivers and Fireball whiskey, according to the affidavit.
Souza told state police that she befriended the boy when he was in her program at the school because they had a lot in common, such as music, movies and past relationships. When he left the program, she gave him her cellphone number in case he needed rides.
She admitted she had purchased alcohol for him and eventually stated she had become involved with him sexually, according to the state.
In his interview with police, the boy said he had sex with Souza twice at her Stonington home and that she had bought him condoms. He said Souza told him it would be better if he did not mention that they had sex, to protect her job and her two children.
