A Torrington man, Christopher Jesus Constanzo, 22, pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to charges related to the sexual exploitation of three minors. The charges include kidnapping and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, enticement and sexual assault of another 16-year-old girl, and production of child pornography involving a 17-year-old girl.
Court documents reveal that on December 2, 2021, Constanzo and a 16-year-old female arrived at the U.S. Port of Entry at Highgate Springs, Vermont. They were previously denied entry into Canada at the St-Armand/Philipsburg Border Crossing. After U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers separated them, the victim reported meeting Constanzo the night before at Stillwater Pond State Park in Torrington. She alleged that Constanzo sexually assaulted her, forced her into the trunk of her car with shoelace restraints, and drove towards Canada. Nearing the border, he instructed her to "act normal" while pretending she was his sister.
In July 2021, Constanzo coerced another 16-year-old via SnapChat to meet him at an abandoned warehouse in Torrington under threats against her and her boyfriend. There, he sexually assaulted her at knifepoint. During the same month, Constanzo recorded explicit Facetime videos with a 17-year-old using his iPhone.
Constanzo's plea agreement includes admitting conduct against all three victims. He faces sentencing by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on May 7, with potential imprisonment ranging from a mandatory minimum of 15 years to a maximum of 30 years.
He has been detained since his arrest on December 2, 2021. State charges are still pending against him.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Vermont State Police, and Torrington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Neeraj N. Patel are prosecuting the case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Marc H. Silverman expressed gratitude to other offices for their assistance in this matter's investigation and prosecution.
This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood Initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood or to report cases of child exploitation, visit www.justice.gov/psc or www.cybertipline.com.