GUILTY NH - Stephen Tecce for attempted assault of 8yo girl, Keene, 2010

http://www.wmur.com/news/24757651/detail.html

Police Say Man Threatened 8-Year-Old Girl

KEENE, N.H. -- Prosecutors said a worker at a New Hampshire Christian camp tried to lure an 8-year-old girl into a secluded area and sexually assault her.

Stephen Tecce, 19, of New Jersey, was indicted on a charge of attempted sexual assault. Police said he was working at Camp Spofford, a Christian family camp in western New Hampshire, when the assault took place.

"He is alleged to have lured an 8-year-old girl to a secluded place and attempted to solicit sex from her," said Assistant Cheshire County Attorney Keith Clouatre.

According to court paperwork, Tecce was working as a maintenance staff member at the camp in July. In the paperwork, police said he took the girl on a walk and told her he wanted to have sex with her. When she said no, he allegedly told her he wanted "to play a game of 'tie up,'" according to the paperwork.

Police said Tecce then "attempted to place tape with something on it" over the girl's mouth.

Clouatre said the girl was able to scream and run to her family for help.

more at link.....

I'm so glad that this little girl was able to escape before things got worse. I hate to say it but our children aren't safe anywhere.

Me too.
I'm so glad she's ok.
This world is so scary!!!!!!!!

19 years old ???? He looks like a baby, I thought I was looking at pictures of a 13 year old.

http://www.wmur.com/news/24757651/detail.html

Tecce's father told News 9 that his son has Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction

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the more I read about this, the more I feel like something is hinkey.

http://www.sentinelsource.com/articles/2010/08/25/news/local/free/id_410686.txt

“(The prosecution’s) case boils down to basically, she said this happened,” he argued. “This is a complete surprise to (Tecce) ... An alibi has never been an issue in this case. The issue is, he didn’t do it.”

Schweizer said Tecce and his family have attended the camp for 14 years, they’re “known by everybody” there, and Tecce’s never shown any signs of aggression.

He said Tecce “has no history of anything” in the way of a criminal record, and he’s been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and “emotional issues” that would make it “highly unlikely he’d engage in this type of behavior.”

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If true, aspergers syndrome is no excuse as a person still understands right from wrong.

Is it the Aspergers or the emotional issues that make it highly unlikely he would engage in this kind of behaviour?

I'm trying to figure out how either of them could preclude him from being a pedophile ...

We did have another similar case here where someone with Aspergers assaulted or attempted to assault a child. I'll look for it. I recall parents of children with Aspergers weighed in.

Here's my question. He takes the little girl for a walk. He then says he wants to have sex with her. She says no and then the "game" of tie up comes in.

O.K.

Then he tried to put something over her mouth. She was able to scream and run to her family. Do they have the sticky tape? Was this exactly when the little girl divulged what happened? Like immediately?

Also 14 years they've been at the camp dad says. Everybody knows us. Well, Pop's big freakin whoop I don't care if you own the camp. I understand the parent is upset, but it kills me when people do that. "Well, I knew him since he was a wee one and now he's ten and suddenly he says I did something to him?" This is how they do.

Of course this is different this case and we don't have all the facts. As always I throw my two cents in about pedophiles and how they conive.

I don't know what has ruffled my feathers exactly because I have NEVER doubted a victim.

While the aspergers definitely adds something to this case, I think the fact that the video showing the 2 of them together is not anywhere near where she said this took place, is what is bothering me.

I'll go find the link.

http://www.sentinelsource.com/articles/2010/08/25/news/local/free/id_410686.txt

Schweizer said his client doesn’t deny he talked to the girl, but that’s all that happened, and it was near the softball field — far away from the nursery where the girl said the assault occurred. He also argued that there were hundreds of people at the camp, and it’s highly unlikely Tecce would’ve been able to do what he is accused of without someone seeing it.

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Here is one, but it's not the exact one I'm looking for. I'll go look some more.

do 8 years old really understand the words 'i want to have sex with you'.

I found it.

http://www.reformer.com/ci_15896158?source=most_viewed

In addition, a photograph shows Tecce and the alleged victim mere minutes prior to the alleged assault, he said.

Clouatre began the hearing by arguing to increase bail to $25,000, saying that Tecce is "clearly a threat to society."

Schweizer argued that where the photo was taken at the softball field at the camp is nowhere near the camp’s nursery, where the alleged assault occurred. He also said his client didn’t deny talking to the child near the softball field but explained that nothing more happened.

Beyond Belief said:

do 8 years old really understand the words 'i want to have sex with you'.

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That got me as well, BB.

Who knows anymore? I mean the kids hear it and see it on TV. However, would the guy have actually even said that?

This is just me. That was the age I was assaulted. I had no idea what sex was. I am sure I had heard the word. I couldn't have said to you at the time though "He had sex with me". I knew it was wrong and freakin hurt and well you know about as horrofic a thing a child can have happen to them, but I didn't know what that was. I didn't have the words to explain that.

Now that was a looooooong time ago. Today kids are taught earlier age appropriate how to act and react to someone hurting you, but I'm not sure the words "I want to have sex with you" would register.

Again, that's just me. Like Lovejac I have trouble believing a child would lie about something like that. I do know of one case where apparently a child did and that child had been sexually assaulted previously.

Here's a question. With Aspergers I understand how the social ques and all don't transfer or register. Does that mean you wouldn't have a libido though?

O.K. Kimster and MissIzzy weighed in and were very informative in thsi past thread.

Both fine women explain they can see someone with Asperger's mimicking a certain behavior they had witnessed. So, perhaps did this guy actually say "I want to have sex with you?" as he had seen on TV or a movie?


Warning the thread is about a guy reoffending. He also was not allowed online and his Myspace is still up with pictures of smiling girls on it. I don't think he has been on it, but it still is creepy.




http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97665&highlight=aspergers

I know someone with Aspergers who functions ok when sober, but he is also an alcoholic. When he drinks, he is totally a different person. He has been to jail for things he has done while drinking. Very scary!

Filly said:

O.K. Kimster and MissIzzy weighed in and were very informative in thsi past thread.

Both fine women explain they can see someone with Asperger's mimicking a certain behavior they had witnessed. So, perhaps did this guy actually say "I want to have sex with you?" as he had seen on TV or a movie?


Warning the thread is about a guy reoffending. He also was not allowed online and his Myspace is still up with pictures of smiling girls on it. I don't think he has been on it, but it still is creepy.




http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97665&highlight=aspergers

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thank you for finding that, Filly.

I worked with autistic young adults ages 17 - 21 many moons ago (more than 15) Some were high functioning, some low, but they all had the libido working just fine. They just didn't know what to do about it. These guys were around females at school, work and within the program and in the 5 years I worked there, nothing like this happened.

We had a couple of clients that had sessions with someone who would show them how to properly masterbate using picture books and a model and had to explain to them that this was something that must be done in the privacy of their own rooms. This happened because one client would masterbate at work and another one was unable to climax so he would have an erection all day and masterbate off and on all day.

These clients who were in our program lived on their own (3 clients to a house) with 24 coverage from staff, worked and went to school. To my knowledge they never saw any kind of pornagraphy or ever had the talk about the "birds & the bees". However, their libido was as normal as your average 17 to 21 year old males, but they lacked the socialization skills to actively date and find willing female participants.

Thank you lovejac. That's very close to my experience. A couple of my children are on the spectrum and the spectrum is vast. IMO, we just don't have near enough info here to go on. People with Asperger's can have DD or can be incredibly bright. This man might have functioned as a normal 19 year old with merely mild to moderate social issues. Or he might have had a good deal of developmental delay which would have to be taken into consideration. The fact that no one saw anything really doesn't mean diddly to me. It's shocking what perps can get away with. Heck, it's shocking what normal, healthy kids can get away with right under their patents noses. So that part doesn't hold water.

I guess, I'm most bothered by the fact that the man was carrying tape with him. Was this some sort of premeditation of an attack? If so, I would bet that he's seen either a film or *advertiser censored* which gave him bright ideas. People on the spectrum are no different than you and I. They will mimic what others do but not always in the appropriate time or space. I know a local man who has Asperger's. He's actually in a highly professional field. I run into his name occasionally while googling. He's always on gay sex sites speaking out on forums, using his full name!! He hasn't a clue.

I would also question why the young man had unsupervised access to the whole camp if he were so disabled. Wouldn't his parents or an aid be assisting him and supervising? Allowing a 19 year old physically healthy male with social boundary issues to accompany a young child is asking for trouble. He might be sweet as all get out but he would need direction and redirection.

There was also a comment about the man being aggressive with LE. For an excellent understanding of that problem I cannot strongly enough recommend the book, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime". It is truly remarkable how the author lets you get inside the head of a young teen with Asperger's, who gets arrested. It really gave me insight. Any library should have it and it's a quick read.

http://www.nj.com/sunbeam-news/index.ssf/2011/06/pittsgrove_township_man_convic.html

Stephen Tecce, who was 19 when the incident occurred, was convicted last week in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, Superior Court of attempted aggravated felonious sexual assault, kidnapping, criminal threatening, and endangering the welfare of a child

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http://www.sentinelsource.com/news/...cle_6c09b753-8df7-5961-b12d-dd27ed38dfcb.html

Tecce was sentenced to three years in the Cheshire County jail, and Clouatre has filed an appeal because he believes Tecce should be serving a prison sentence, he said after the hearing.

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At the sentencing hearing in November, Judge John P. Arnold said psychologists had expressed concern that a prison sentence would not be constructive in Tecce’s case because he has Asperger syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder.


Arnold also ordered Tecce to complete a sex offender treatment plan while in jail as part of his sentence.

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