Replies

Article cross posted for your comment

“Sex offender arrested for violation of conditions

By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer

February 2, 2008

A former Greenwich man convicted of possession of child pornography and videotaping young boys faces a felony charge for violating the conditions of the Connecticut State Sex Offender Registry by living in a Greenwich home without telling Stamford police, police said.

Stamford police arrested Ernest Drupals, 35, Thursday night at the home of one of his relatives at 29 Carrona Drive in Greenwich and charged him with violation of his probation as a sex offender by living there without notifying them, Stamford Police Captain Richard Conklin said.

Police had an address of 80 Palmer St. in Stamford for Drupals, Conklin said.

“The deal was he was he wasn’t living at his given address in Stamford,” Conklin said.

In 2002 Drupals, a Greenwich High School graduate, accepted a plea deal that allowed him to avoid up to ten years in prison on 30 counts of possessing child pornography.

Last year, Drupals completed five years probation imposed by a judge, in which he was ordered to comply with more than 25 conditions.

Mickey Sherman, Drupal’s attorney, said his client did not violate the legal requirements to update his address mandated by state law.

“Being a sex offender and keeping track of sex offenders is a serious issue, but this guy has jumped through every hoop and followed every rule that is laid out for him,” Sherman said. “I don’t believe he is in violation.”

Under state law, registered sex offenders face a Class D felony charge if they fail to comply with any registration requirements, which includes notifying Connecticut State Police in writing within five days of when they move or change their names.

Failure to meet any of the requirements is a Class D felony, carrying a maximum sentence of 5 years and a fine up to $5,000.

In November 2006, Drupals admitted he had broken the terms of his probation when he was found by a policeman near an Old Greenwich School field where children were playing. State Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin decided not to impose Drupals’ suspended 10-year prison sentence and ordered Drupals to serve out the terms of his five year probation.

In his initial arrest in June 2000, Drupals was caught filming boys in the swimming pool at Greenwich High School and arrested.

Police searched his home and found 4,000 images of children on his computer. About 2,500 were pornographic, with the children appearing to be about 8 to 10 years old, authorities said at the time.

Officers also found videotapes Drupals had taken of boys changing their clothes in locker rooms at YMCAs in New Canaan, Wilton, West Haven and other locations.