Editor’s note: This article contains descriptions of alleged sexual crimes against children that may be inappropriate for some readers. Reader discretion also is advised due to the detailed descriptions presented in an arrest warrant affidavit.
A Monroe detective investigating the downloading of child pornography from the Internet stumbled upon a network address last October that appeared to come from this area, prompting officials to issue an order requesting Charter Communications identify the customer using the network address.
The company eventually did, identifying the customer as David Csanadi, 34, of Aunt Park Lane in Newtown, which then kicked off a Newtown police investigation and led to Csanadi being charged with sexually assaulting children, according to an arrest warrant affidavit unsealed this week at the state Superior Court in Danbury.
While the alleged downloading of child pornography was traced to Csanadi’s account, the more disturbing find came after search and seizure warrants were served on his home, according to the affidavit.
From 21 8-mm video tapes, which were seized along with a multitude of DVDs, CDs and VHS tapes as well as a computer tower, police uncovered a disturbing array of photos and homemade videos of children, and in some cases, sexual acts being performed on sleeping children, according to the affidavit.
with three counts of first-degree sexual assault, three counts of illegal sexual contact with children, three counts of risk of injury to a child and one count of possessing child pornography.
In one video, the victim appears to be only 1- or 2-years-old at the time the 8 mm tape was made, according to the affidavit. The victim, whom the affidavit referred to only as “juvenile Jane Doe,” had her name written on labels on some of the DVDs, CDs and other videotapes, according to the affidavit, which was signed by the lead investigator in the case, Newtown police detective Jason Frank.
After noticing the girl’s name on the tapes as police executed their search warrant on April 8, Frank asked Csanadi who the girl was, according to the affidavit.
“That, the undersigned affiant asked Csanadi about the female’s name and (Csanadi) said she was a ‘relative’ and that she is ‘the love of his life,’” according to the affidavit.
Frank, who started his investigation by viewing the 8-mm video tapes, had apparently known Csanadi for the past 15 years in connection with prior dealings, according to the affidavit. Frank said in the affidavit he was able to identify Csanadi and Csanadi's voice on some of the tapes.
While some of what was taped e of children wearing bathing suits and playing at the beach, with close-up shots of the children’s vagina area, buttocks, chest area as well as toes and feet, according to the affidavit.
“The camera appears to be concealed in such a manner that the children and adults did not know that they were being recorded,” according to the affidavit. “The children in this video appeared to be between the ages of 4-7 years of age.”
Other footage showed children getting on and off a school bus, which was filmed from inside a vehicle, as well as scenes of prepubescent girls playing on a playground, according to the affidavit.
Still other tapes showed the feet of prepubescent children at the stands of a Hot Rod and truck race.
“Also, it showed a child who was being held by an adult while sitting in the stands and the clothed vaginal area was being recorded,” according to the affidavit.
In one tape, girls who appeared to be 4 to 7-years-old were seen modeling bathing suits and bathing in a shower with their clothes on, although the tape also contained images of about 12 separate prepubescent girls posing naked, according to the affidavit.
In the other tapes, there were homemade video footage of scenes around Newtown, of children in bathing suits with their families at a boat launch, children playing with a sprinkler hose in front of a house, Csanadi buying lemonade from three children in front of a house and children sitting in a grocery cart, according to the affidavit.
Perhaps the most disturbing of all was footage of a sexual act committed on the “juvenile Jane Doe,” who in the video had a pacifier in her mouth and appeared to be 1 or 2-years-old at the time, according to the affidavit.
While the arrest warrant affidavit was unsealed on Monday, the search warrant remains sealed due to the ongoing investigation, officials have said. The court documents also indicate the parents of the Jane Doe, who were unnamed, have submitted photos of their child into evidence.
Csanadi, who is in custody on $1 million bond, is due back in court on May 24. He is being represented by the public defender's office.
