State police have arrested a school paraeducator and basketball coach accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student in New Fairfield.
Police began their investigation into 26-year-old Christopher Fernandes in March after receiving a complaint from two students that Fernandes was sending inappropriate text messages to a different student.
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WATCH HEREThe next day, investigators interviewed the alleged victim's father, who said he had learned that his daughter was forced to have sex with Fernandes in January.
Police then interviewed the alleged victim to get her story about what happened.
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SIGN UP According to the arrest affidavit, the girl told them she was watching a girls varsity basketball game on Jan. 21 when she said Fernandes texted her that he was going to come the basketball game for the purpose of "hooking up" in his car.
She told investigators she left the game and met Fernandes in the parking lot of the school and Fernandes told her to sit in the backseat. According to the warrant, Fernandes then parked in the back parking lot of the middle school and got into the backseat with the alleged victim, where the sexual assault occurred, the warrant states.
Police were able to view surveillance video from the school from the night in question. Investigators say it shows a vehicle matching Fernandes' in the back parking lot of the middle school, according to the arrest affidavit.
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Fernandes turned himself in to police on Wednesday and was charged with second-degree sexual assault, fourth-degree sexual assault, use of a computer to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, harmful communication with a minor, and risk of injury to a minor.
He was held on $350,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
Fernandes has been a paraeducator at New Fairfield Middle School since the 2023-2024 school year and has coached the hight school boys' freshman basketball team for the past three seasons, according to the superintendent of schools.
He was placed on leave on March 6 and has been barred from school grounds.
