making
headlines

Westport Man Pleads Guilty In Sex Ring Case

Westport man pleaded guilty Friday to patronizing a trafficked person in a case related to an alleged sex ring involving troubled young men.

William Trefzger, 72, was given a 10-year sentence suspended after one year by Superior Court Judge Susan Reynolds. Trefzger, who has a prior sex assault conviction, has been held on a $250,000 cash bond since his arrest last spring.

He has agreed to cooperate with state investigators against other co-defendants, including Glastonbury businessman Bruce Bemer, who is facing similar charges.

According to the warrant affidavit for Trefzger's arrest, Danbury police and the FBI began investigating in January 2016, after receiving a complaint from a probation officer that a mentally disabled man who was on probation had been involved in sex trafficking and prostitution. The disabled man had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and paranoia.

The probation officer told police she learned that Robert King of Danbury and Trefzger - who was convicted in 2010 of fourth-degree sexual assault - had been operating the prostitution ring, the warrant said.

The majority of human trafficking cases are tried in federal court, but Trefzger and Bemer were arrested through the Danbury State's Attorney's office on state charges under a Connecticut law that makes patronizing a trafficked person a state crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Bemer is owner of the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. He also owns numerous other businesses, including Skylark Airpark in East Windsor, Bemer Petroleum, motorcycle dealerships and Bemer Gas & Welding Supplies in Glastonbury.

Bemer recently turned down a deal offered by Reynolds that would have resulted in him withdrawing his not guilty plea and receiving a suspended sentence and probation. Reynolds told Bemer that she would order a pre-sentence investigation and that if she decided based on the report to require incarceration, he could re-enter the not guilty plea.

But Bemer opted for a jury trial, Reynolds withdrew her offer and Bemer's case was moved to the trial list. If convicted at trial, he could face up to 30 years in prison.

Both men are also being sued in civil court in Bridgeport by some of the accusers. Bemer has agreed to put up $25 million in assets to cover his potential liabilities in those cases.

The New Haven attorney representing some of the accusers in civil court said Trefzger’s plea and decision to cooperate with authorities is an important step in the case.

“Thankfully the victims of this horrific sex operation can take solace in the fact a member of the ring actually took responsibility for his depraved actions,” attorney Joel Faxon said.

Police have said at least two of the 15 male accusers were under state-funded care, with deep psychiatric disabilities and drug addictions.

The alleged ringleader was King, of Danbury, a convicted drug dealer and accused pimp who once lived in Manchester, police said. King is accused of plying vulnerable victims with cash and cocaine.