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February 26, 2008

Two Bristol men charged in molestation case

BRISTOL -- Two men who serve as foster parents have been arrested for allegedly molesting a 14-year-old child, according to the police.

The Department of Children, Youth and Families, which conducted its own investigation and involved the police, took custody of two foster children and two adopted children from the couple’s home months before Friday’s arrests, according to an agency spokesman.

Today, the two men, Sedonio Rodriques, 57, and Raymond Grenier, 53, both of 26 Sampson St., were arraigned in District Court, Providence. They face multiple counts of first- and second-degree child molestation and attempted first-degree child molestation. They are being held without bail until a March 10 hearing.

The DCYF began its investigation after receiving a tip to its child abuse hot line in late November, said Kevin Aucoin, the agency’s executive counsel. The tip concerned the licensed foster home of Rodriques and Grenier, who had two adopted children and two foster children, he said.

A preliminary investigation concluded that the children were in “immediate peril,” said Aucoin. On Nov. 30, DCYF workers, escorted by Bristol police, removed the four children from the home. The DCYF continued its investigation.

“We were able to substantiate the facts as alleged,” Aucoin said. At that point in a child-abuse investigation, he said, the agency informs the police.

Aucoin said the two men, whom he identified as a same-sex couple, first obtained a foster-care license in 2001. The license lapsed for several years before they obtained a new one last year, he said.

“They went through the rigors of the foster-care licensing process both in 2001 and 2007,” he said, noting that the process involves interviews, home visits and background and criminal record checks. “There is absolutely nothing in their background that would have indicated these individuals would have been prone to this type of conduct.”

The DCYF is currently in the process of revoking the couple’s foster-care license, he said.

The DCYF asked the police to participate during an interview on Feb. 15 of Rodriques and Grenier.

“As a result of that portion of the investigation, the arrest warrants were issued,” Guercia said. “These allegations go back over a three-year period.”

Guercia said there have been no allegations that any other children were abused.

The police encountered no difficulty when they arrested the men at their home on Friday, he said.

-- Journal staff writer Richard Salit

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 5:55 PM | Permalink

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Heather | February 26, 2008 11:39 PM link

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