Youth Minister Pleads Guilty For Reduced Sentence

Danbury youth counselor Troy Grant pleaded guilty to 10 of the 25 felony charges he was facing in his sexual assault case on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty on the second floor while jurors waiting upstairs were ready to be picked for his trial.

Grant faced a possible sentence of more than 100 years in jail after he was charged with 25 felony counts and two misdemeanor charges. He had teenagers living in his house and he was working with a number of city churches and agencies to counsel those children. Prosecutor Sharmese Hodge said Grant used those agencies and churches to reach vulnerable teenagers.

As a result of Wednesday's plea, Grant is now expected to serve between 12 and 20 years in prison and sentencing will occur on Nov. 2.

When asked how he pleaded to each of the 10 counts, Grant said, "Guilty," in a clear voice. When Judge Susan Reynolds asked Grant if he was satisfied with his attorney, Angelica Papastavros, Grant said, "very satisfied."

The deal calls for the defense to argue on Nov. 2 for a lesser sentence and the prosecution to argue for a longer sentence. The prosecutors can argue for as much as 40 years, suspended after 20 years with 30 years of probation. The effective sentence would be 20 years. The defense can argue for 40 years, suspended after 12 years, with 30 years probation. His sentence would be 12 years if the defense arguement prevails.

Both sides agreed to lifetime registration on the state's sexual offender registry. Both sides agreed on 30 years of probation.

"I don't think this was an offer my client should have turned away from," said Papastavros. "Mr. Grant is now in a position to put this behind him and move on with his life. It's a good deal for my client."

Grant initially faced nine charges of risk of injury to a minor, three counts of second-degree sexual assault by a guardian, and 13 other felony charges. He was a Danbury youth counselor or volunteer counselor with a number of churches, and he had taken custody of some of the youths involved.

Before Wednesday's plea, Grant had rejected two previous plea offers, one from the prosecution and one from the judge. If he violates probation after sentencing, he will be required to serve the full term.

Jury selection was initially scheduled to begin on Wednesday, before the plea.