Judge Grants Court Continuance In Sexual Assault Case

By Andrew Gorosko

WATERBURY — A Middlebury woman, who police say had an illegal sexual relationship with an underage male Newtown High School (NHS) student while the woman was working as a NHS guidance office intern, appeared briefly November 28 in Waterbury Superior Court, where a judge continued her criminal case until February 23.

Court continuances in such cases typically extend for two weeks or four weeks.

In court, Judge Frank Iannotti combined two court cases that are pending against Jillian Gehrkens, 26, of 807 Long Meadow Rd, Middlebury, into one case.

Ms Gehrkens faces two counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of risk of injury or impairing the morals of a minor, and one count of violation of the conditions of release.

The violation of conditions of release charge had been pending in Danbury Superior Court due to that alleged offense having occurred in Newtown, which lies in Danbury Superior Court’s jurisdiction. To streamline the case, Judge Iannotti transferred that charge from the Danbury court to the Waterbury court. 

In court, Ms Gehrkens reaffirmed her plea of  “not guilty” to the violation of conditions of release charge. She has pleaded “not guilty” to all other charges.

A conviction on a second-degree sexual assault charge carries a mandatory minimum nine-month jail sentence.

Ms Gehrkens is free on $25,000 bail, but is under house arrest. Ms Gehrkens is required to wear an electronic monitoring device that restricts her presence to her home and her backyard. She is allowed to leave home for court appearances, medical appointments, meetings with her lawyer, and to seek employment.

Attorney William F. Dow, III, of New Haven represents Ms Gehrkens.

An arrest warrant affidavit describes the circumstances that led Middlebury police on August 29 to arrest Ms Gehrkens, a former NHS guidance office intern, on sexual assault charges for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a male NHS student who was age 15 when the relationship started. The victim is now 17.

Ms Gehrkens, who is married, had worked as a NHS guidance office intern from January 2004 to January 2005. While an NHS intern, she was affiliated with Western Connecticut State University in Danbury as a graduate student.

In mid-September, after learning that Ms Gehrkens had allegedly had contact with the victim in early September, after she had been ordered by the court not to do so, Judge Iannotti then ordered Ms Gehrkens to submit to electronic monitoring and house arrest. In October, at Mr Dow’s request, Judge Iannotti relaxed the conditions of that house arrest, allowing Ms Gehrkens to venture into her backyard.

In a September 14 letter to Danbury Superior Court, Mark Leondires, MD, of Norwalk, an obstetrician and gynecologist, informed the court that Ms Gehrkens is pregnant, adding that the criminal charges that she is facing create a stressful situation for her.