Hawleyville Man Arrested On Additional Sex Charges

By Andrew Gorosko

Police said this week that a Hawleyville man, who has been held as a prisoner since April when he was arrested on three child pornography charges, was arrested on a warrant on an additional 22 sex-related charges on July 10.

Police said Edward Wilson, 28, whose last known address was 12 Hillcrest Drive, was arrested on a warrant at Danbury Superior Court on six counts of first-degree sexual assault, five counts of fourth-degree sexual assault, and 11 counts of risk of injury or impairing the morals of a child.

Unlike the initial child pornography charges lodged against Wilson, the new charges allege that Wilson had illegal sexual contact with an underage person.

A judge arraigned Wilson on the new charges on July 10.

Wilson’s July 10 arrest stems from a police investigation into computer evidence that was seized at his home on April 12, when the three initial child pornography charges were lodged against Wilson.

Those three charges are first-degree possession of child pornography, promoting a minor in an obscene performance, and obscenity.

Newtown police and the state police’s computer crimes unit have participated in the investigation. Nearly all of the pending charges are felonies.

After his April 12 arrest, Wilson was held on $100,000 bail by police. That bail was raised to $250,000 by a judge at Wilson’s April arraignment. Following his July 10 arrest, that bail was raised to $750,000.

Wilson was being held on July 11 at the Bridgeport Correctional Center for an August 7 court appearance. Wilson has pleaded not guilty to all pending charges. He is being represented by a public defender.

In February, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) sent several reports to the state police for investigation, according to state police.

NCMEC reported that a person appeared to be e-mailing files of suspected child pornography, after which state police started an investigation into the matter and tracked such activity to the address of 12 Hillcrest Drive, according to state police.

State police then obtained a search-and-seizure warrant from court to obtain evidence there. While seizing that evidence, police made the initial arrest of Wilson.