Conn. Firefighter Arrested For Alleged On-Duty Sex Assault

March 15--STAMFORD -- A volunteer firefighter was arrested Tuesday evening on a sexual assault charge after allegedly climbing into bed with a female colleague while on duty last month.

Cody O'Brien, 19, of 283 Sundance Road, was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault, a misdemeanor offense, following a Stamford police investigation of accusations he got into a bunk already occupied by a 21-year-old female volunteer firefighter at the Belltown Fire Department, Police Lt. Diedrich Hohn said.

O'Brien was released on a written promise to appear in court on March 27.

The woman reported the alleged incident to police a day after it occurred early Sunday, Feb. 19. Calls to O'Brien's attorney were not returned Wednesday.

According to court documents, the woman told police investigators she went to sleep in the bunkroom around midnight and woke up several hours later with someone in her bed. She said she felt the person, identified as O'Brien, inappropriately touch her while she was in the bed, court documents said.

The female firefighter told police she yelled at O'Brien and threatened to call police when he didn't immediately get out of the bed. At the mention of police, O'Brien jumped out of bed, grabbed a wall phone and told the victim he would call police himself, the woman reported. O'Brien left the room, and the woman told two other firefighters about the incident, according to court documents.

O'Brien and his attorney met with police the following Monday and told investigators he did not climb into bed with the woman, and that she had sent him suggestive text messages in the past.

O'Brien also denied making insulting remarks about the alleged victim in a public forum, but when pressed on the issue, admitted making a derogatory comment about the woman on Facebook that referenced the allegations against him, according to court documents.

O'Brien then admitted to climbing into bed with the female firefighter, but he denied intentionally touching her, reports said. He told police he lied at first because he was on probation for a past assault conviction and did not want to get thrown out of the firehouse.

Belltown Fire Chief John Didelot said the department suspended O'Brien after the incident. His suspension will await the outcome of the criminal case. He had been a volunteer with the department for the past four years.

O'Brien is due in court March 27.

In 2009, O'Brien was among four teenagers arrested in connection with a severe beating outside Stamford High School that left two other teenagers with serious injuries. The following year, O'Brien pleaded guilty as a youthful offender to the assault.

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