DANBURY (AP) — A Westport man has pleaded guilty to patronizing a trafficked person and agreed to cooperate with Connecticut investigators against others involved in an alleged Danbury-based sex ring involving troubled young men.

The Hartford Courant reports that Danbury Superior Court Judge Susan Reynolds on Friday handed 72-year-old William Trefzger a 10-year sentence, suspended after one year.

Trefzger has a prior sex assault conviction and has been held on a $250,000 cash bond since his arrest last spring.

Trefzger and Bruce Bemer of Glastonbury were arrested in connection with the ring, which authorities believe may have been operating for decades. Bemer owns the New London-Waterford Speedbowl and Bemer Petroleum Corporation in Glastonbury.

Bemer has opted for a jury trial. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison.