Former day care teacher charged in sexual abuse
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By Brent Curtis STAFF WRITER - Published: February 3, 2010
A Wallingford day care teacher is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly fondling a child once in his care.
Michael P. Cange, 41, pleaded innocent in Rutland District Court Tuesday to six counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child that allegedly took place between 2002 and 2003 when he served as lead teacher at the Wallingford Day Care.
Cange, who was ordered a week ago to stop working at the day care by the state Department of Child and Family Services, was freed by Judge Thomas Zonay on conditions of release that included a requirement that he stay away from children under the age of 18.
Deputy State's Attorney Kathryn Smith argued for $5,000 bail for Cange. But the judge said the lifelong Wallingford man's strong ties to the community and other factors made him a minimal risk of flight — the legal measure for deciding bail.
“The court cannot say the imposition of bail is necessary to assure appearance and that is the reason for bail,” Zonay said.
Cange was arrested earlier in the day on Tuesday by investigators with the Rutland Unit for Special Investigations which is responsible for investigating sex crimes especially those against children.
City Detective Michael Notte, who is assigned to RUSI, said Cange admitted to investigators that he fondled a girl at the day care during class trips to Elfin Lake in Wallingford and on occasions when he took the child home with him.
“Cange advised it was wrong, but then said there was a part of him that felt it was not wrong,” Notte wrote. “He advised (the girl) was the only one he touched sexually and that he was sorry.”
Wallingford Day Care director Wendy Savery, who is married to Cange, said Tuesday evening that her husband no longer works at the facility, which also serves as a preschool. Savery, who was not in court during Cange's arraignment, said she did not know any of details of the investigation.
Notte said his office began investigating Cange last month when the girl, who was between the ages of 9 and 11 when the alleged incidents occurred, told her mother and DCF officials about the abuse. The Herald does not identify alleged victims of sexual abuse.
The girl told police she tried for years to suppress her memories of the incidents, but recently decided she couldn't deal with it anymore, Notte said. The detective said the girl told police she needs help and didn't want the alleged abuse to “screw up” her life later on.
brent.curtis@rutlandherald.com
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