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Previous coverage of this story
Read many more details from arrest warrant in Hartford Courant article
With the exception of giving my professional analysis on news coverage and how it is handled I really do my best not to pass judgment on most of these stories that pass through my hands to you. My philosophy is that you should make up your own minds without me telling you how to feel. I am also an extremely flawed individual who does his best to try and not judge others. But there are times when you just can’t help yourself (remember, I am flawed). After reading the sordid details of the the chief and lieutenant of Connecticut’s South Coventry Fire Department charged with having sex with junior members I’ve experienced one of those times where I find it hard to be quiet.
As horrible as this whole story is, in some ways the worst part to me may not be that Joseph Carilli, a 53-year-old chief, was having sex with a 15-year-old junior member in the “firehouse, the board of directors room, the firehouse attic, his house and the fire department substation” and apparently got her pregnant. What may be worse is the reaction and inaction of the rest of the department.
Here’s why I say this. Carilli had a past criminal history that included a conviction and jail time over a sexual incident involving a 14-year-old girl during the 1980s. This was well known and was a controversy that made news in 2006 when Carilli became chief. Many of us would likely say this man had no business supervising a program that involved young teenagers. But those in charge stood by their man and decided to let Carilli remain in his position. Now comes the real troubling part for me.
You would think the leadership and members of the department, after standing by their chief during the controversy would now have an extra obligation to the community, its junior firefighters and the parents of those young members to be on guard for even the slightest indication the chief was up to his old ways and immediately take action. You and I might think that, but the article by the Hartford Courant’s David Owens, based on details in the arrest warrant, says something completely different happened:
Firefighters interviewed by police said they often saw the girl with Carilli, and based upon their actions, flirting, and the amount of time they were together said they appeared to be a “dating couple.” Several of those firefighters said they did not notify authorities about the “illegal relationship because Carilli was ‘careful’ and they had no solid evidence to prove a relationship.”
Really? You believed your 53-year-old chief, who previously spent time in jail for having sex with a minor, was “dating” a 15-year-old junior member and you didn’t notify anyone about your suspicions. Really?
I know it’s easy for me to second guess and I probably should just keep my mouth shut because I don’t know all of the facts and have all of the evidence. But keeping your mouth shut is exactly what the firefighters who saw the chief “dating” the 15-year-old girl did and the best I can tell it didn’t serve anyone well.
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Also on STATter911 …
- There’s more: CT FD wants $12,000 back it used to convince chief who was ‘dating’ jr. member to step down last fall because of an earlier harassment issue. – March 5, 2013
- CT former chief & lieutenant arrested on charges they had sex with jr. firefighters. Chief served jail time after similar arrest 30-years-ago. – February 14, 2013
- Must see video: Car crashes into house, or is it the other way around? Dave finds similarities to a Kansas incident. – June 10, 2012
- Junior firefighter critically burned in PA training exercise. Brush pile doused with gasoline. – September 21, 2012
Comments
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you are so old fashioned.
15 is the new 45.
get with the times old man.
I know. I told you I was flawed.
Age is just a number, right? -_-
Some states, California being one, have laws requiring such behavior or the suspicion of such be reported by a variety of professions including first responders, thats US!
Can you spell LAW SUIT…. Strike Da Box! K
I must be more flawed than you, Dave because I have no problem passing judgement on this scumbag. Didn’t he have to register as a sex offender after his first offense? How was he allowed to be in a program involving minors? I know volunteer fire companies often operate with little or no oversight, but others had to seriously drop the ball on this as well.
I bet it would only have taken a phone call to the girl’s father to remedy the situation. Hope he does serious time in prison. I hear they really know how to welcome pedophiles.
He didn’t have to register as a sex offender because, at the time of the incident, there were no regestries in effect. That came later. However, when he was first chosen as chief, the local news broadcast that there was a pedifile in the department as chief. Nothing was done. We also have a transexual, Dean is now Deanna. I’m glad this is happening because heads are going to roll, from the top, down and we have been trying to rid our town government of ALL scumbags, liars, cheaters, users and all around bad blood. There will be a lot of job openings in Coventry over the next 6 months or so. It’s entertaining to watch them all backpedal and squirm. Gonna follow this to the end, no matter how long it takes. Going to court this Friday just do I can see that scumbag in shackles eating humble pie.
A similar situation happened at a firehouse near me. A higher up admin (almost to the top) started “seeing” a cadet (16-17yrs). Was brought to the boards attention and he was “talked to” but they didnt do anything more than that. Didnt stop the relationship either. Very unsettling that people who are supposed to be mentors for the younger generation who are coming into the field, can abuse their power like that.
In IL you are mandated to report based on suspicion alone. While I agree that it should have been reported in some fashion based on the the “ick” factor, in IL those around him would be guilty of a violation of the law as well.
I was going to comment Dave…. But you said it all…
@ Elizabeth Hillman
Are you serious? There is no “moral and ethical conundrum” as you put it. A 53 year-old man having sex with a 15 year-old child is a crime in every state in the union. You ask, “do we know the entire story?” How much more do you need to know? If the facts presented are are true (and there is no reason to believe they’re not) he’s guilty of 2nd degree sexual assault…for the second time. “Where in hell were the girl’s parents?” What difference does it make? Is there some exception that makes it OK for pedophiles to prey on children if their parents are uninvolved?
Those in the know, were cowards for not reporting it. We are supposed to protect people, especially children.
The cowards could have reported it without retribution by:
1) Sending an anonymous letter to the police dept.
2) Sending an anonymous letter to social services.
3) Sending an anonymous letter to the parents.
#1 & #2 could have had an investigation opened. The tipoff to the parents could have let the girls parents know what was going on.
Now we have a pregnant minor, a baby and a pervert that should have never had access to minors going to jail.
And we thought the fire service was built on bravery!
The parents were warned on several occasions and they didn’t believe what they were being told.
There is no baby. She had an abortion. He is blaming the victim saying she found out about his conviction in the 80′s and was going to tell everyone in the fire department. Daaah! The whole town knew about his conviction because when he was elected chief, the local news got wind of it and featured him on their broadcast.
Oh come on Dave, I don’t think you’re flawed, well no more than me anyway. As far as this case goes, I’ve said before, you just can’t fix stupid. And there appears to have been a whole lot of “stupid” going on here. Must be a very interesting FD and community up there.
Dave’s Dating Tips for Chief Officers.
AKA, If You’re Asking My Opinion, It’s Probably Too Late.
That’s for certain.
This guy needs to be put into the big house.
Whole lotta stupid going on in South Coventry, CT.
I’m guessing the designated “responsible adult” retired and never got replaced. No excuse for Chief Studly or any of the other idiots who let it go on.
Wow!! Look at their web site, on the Junior Firefighters page. Someone with the same last name as the accused won a Junior Firefighter of the Year award a couple years ago.
These are the same type of actions that happened at Penn State. An adult having sex with children while those who knew, or suspected stood around and said nothing. The fecal matter could hit the smoke ejector with force, terminating the Junior program, setting the ire department and the town down a road best not traveled
Another friend of mine, upon seeing my Facebook post immediately mentioned Penn State.
Bad situation that should have been delt with long ago. To make things worse he shared her and her friends with the Lieutenant that is being charged also? Both of them should do jail time. And this Lieutenant is on the state payroll as a fire fighter at CVH in Middletown were there are young woman with problems already and he has contact with them, I would question that as well. Lets see what the State does with him.
The lt will probably beat his charges. It wasnt the same girl, she was over the age of consent and the only thing they have on him is that he was in a position of authority, similar to the reasoning that a teacher can’t screw a student, even if the student is legal age. My guess is that the lieutenants Attorney will argue the authority a lieutenant has and might get him off. Pun intended.
Now the chief claims the girl made him do it. This will be a novel defense that middle age men all over the perv world will be following. But your honor, i was just minding my own business when this 15 year old tart attacked me, pulled down my pants and made me do it. 15 times. All over town. It was a degrading and horrible experience. Over and over again. Thank god i was caught.
TWO P.O.S. who need to be locked up for a long time!! As for the rest of the department, SHAME on them for being COWARDS and not speaking up. Time to close the department down, get rid of all the COWARDS and let another department service the area. These two and the COWARDS have no right to be part of the Fire Service!
Castration comes to mind.
@ Firefox… that is what I thought when he states she made him do it, and she was blackmailing him. Not sure what girl will blackmail him into sex, he is no george clooney.
If that was slighty even true that she was blackmailing him, a real man would of stood up and said no and reported her actions.
Like many people have said, he should of not even been in a position of power with that kind of past criminal record.
I think the real criminal is the fire department for even allowing a convicted sex offender on to the rolls, let alone be chief.
AGREED!