Crime & Safety
Judge Says Arrest Warrant Describes a 'Predator and Danger to Society'
Newtown man accused of numerous sexual assaults remains held on $1 million bond.
A Newtown man charged with sexually assaulting multiple underage victims was described as a “predator and danger to society” in state Superior Court Monday, and had his $1 million bond continued until his next court appearance.
David Csanadi, 34, of 10 1/2 Aunt Park Lane, appeared in Danbury court where a bail commissioner recommended that the $1 million bond that had kept him in custody over the weekend be reduced to $500,000.
But Judge Susan Quinn Cobb, declined to lower the amount, saying that based on what she read in the arrest warrant, Csandi was a “predator and danger to society.” Cobb also was the judge who signed off on the warrant, officials said.
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Csanadi was charged Friday with three counts of first-degree sexual assault, six counts of risk of injury and one count of possession of child pornography.
Prosecutors asked for and received permission to seal Csanadi’s arrest warrant and the search and seizure warrant that led to his apprehension, citing the sensitive nature of the alleged crime and that the investigation was still ongoing.
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“The allegations are very, very serious and all the allegations have not been fully investigated,” Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen Zingaro said.
Officials declined to detail what the allegations were facing Csanadi but that based on the charges, the Newtown man stands accused of sexually assaulting three minors, touching their intimate parts in a sexual and indecent manner, additional risk of injury charges and one count of possession of child pornography.
Csanadi, who is the son of an Easton police officer, according to sources familiar with the family, has been working as a landscaper in Southbury for the past six years, court officials said.
Public Defender Rory Chapdelaine said Csanadi did not qualify for a public defender but that she was representing him at the hearing, namely on the setting of the bond.
A private-practice lawyer has apparently been in contact with the Newtown police department over the weekend but court officials said they did not know who the lawyer was. The case will be transferred once officials know who is representing Csanadi.
The sealing of the case prevents the police's description of what led to Csanadi’s arrest from being released to the public for the next several days but Csanadi’s defense lawyer once identified will have access to those files, prosecutors said.
Csanadi did not enter a plea and is scheduled to return to Superior Court on May 2.
Csanadi's father, who was in court for the hearing, declined to comment on the case to a reporter.
Meanwhile, Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe said the investigation began during the first week of April after Monroe police tipped them off about an alleged child pornography case involving Csanadi.
“They gave us a tip and they gave us information that possibly one of our residents was in possession of child pornography,” Kehoe said of Monroe police.
Newtown detective Jason Frank, who has been trained in the area of Internet crimes against children, was assigned the case.
On April 8, police served a search warrant on Csandi’s residence, and a week later, he was taken into custody based on materials seized at the home and additional investigation, Kehoe said.
“From that search and seizure warrant, we further investigated and came up with these charges that were issued last Friday,” Kehoe said.
The arrest came within a couple of weeks of receiving the tip but the investigation is continuing, Kehoe said.
“We got to a point where we knew we needed to make an arrest now,” he said. “We felt we needed to safeguard society. We had enough information with the preliminary part of the investigation that we said we need to arrest this guy now…But the investigation is continuing and ongoing and so I can’t say much right now.”
Csanadi has a criminal record but nothing sexual in nature. In 1998, he was convicted of first-degree criminal mischief and in 2001 for probation violation.
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