Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Bristol Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Sexually Assaulting Girl in His Care

An oversight report faults Connecticut’s child-welfare agency for missed chances to protect her.

Overview

  • A judge ordered a 25-year sentence, suspended after 10 years, with 20 years of probation following his conviction for first-degree sexual assault.
  • DNA testing in 2024 confirmed he fathered a child with the victim, who says the abuse began at age 9 and continued until she left at 20.
  • The victim, identified as Crystal, says she was assaulted on a near-daily basis over more than a decade, estimating more than 3,000 incidents.
  • His wife, Darlene Barriault, pleaded guilty to risk of injury to a minor and is scheduled for sentencing in January 2026.
  • The Office of the Child Advocate reported DCF failed to alert police, to flag him as an alleged perpetrator, or to seek a paternity order despite repeated reports and 27 investigations into a household that cared for at least seven children and received about $400,000 in aid.