Nationwide — Roger Barriault, a man from Bristol, Connecticut, has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a girl over 3,600 times, starting when she was 9 and getting her pregnant at 12. He faces a 25-year sentence, suspended after 10 years.
The abuse started in 2004, when the girl, a foster child placed in Barriault’s care, was only 9 years old. For over a decade, until she was 20, Barriault assaulted her repeatedly. At 12, she gave birth to a child, and a 2024 paternity test confirmed Barriault as the father, according to WLBT.
In May 2023, the victim, now an adult, reported the abuse to police. Authorities arrested Barriault in early 2024. On Tuesday, he entered a guilty plea to first-degree sexual assault. His sentence includes a mandatory five-year prison term followed by 20 years of probation.
The case exposed failures by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). A state report revealed DCF suspected Barriault’s involvement when the girl became pregnant, but failed to alert police or request a paternity test. The agency later claimed its system has since improved significantly.
The victim first entered foster care as a toddler, between 6 months and 2 years old. Her foster mother introduced her to Barriault before moving away, leaving the girl with him. DCF was unaware of the foster mother’s departure. Earlier allegations of inappropriate touching by Barriault involving another child surfaced in 2005 and 2006, but no action was taken.
The Office of the Child Advocate is now investigating claims of prior abuse by Barriault against other children in his care. The victim’s attorney, Nate Baber, emphasized the systemic failures that left the girl unprotected for years.