HARTFORD -- An East Hartford man entrusted to supervise mentally disabled people has been arrested and accused of sexually abusing several of them.
Connecticut State Police said the man is a former employee of Harc, which is a Hartford-based nonprofit that helps people with mental disabilities.
53-year-old Ricardo Marchand was taken into custody by state police two weeks ago for allegedly sexually assaulting two male clients of Harc. In the arrest warrant obtained by FOX 61, police said they believe that Marchand "engaged in multiple and various acts of sexual intercourse and contact while on duty as a job Coach at HARC with the mentally disabled victims" sometime within "the timeframe of the years 2014-2017."
Harc describes itself as a resource to help people with intellectual disabilities and their families live quality lives.
But the accounts of the two victims describe a much different picture.
The report lays out accounts of two victims - both adult males with intellectual disabilities - who had been part of a jobs program for people with mental disabilities at Harc when the alleged abuse took place.
A 24-year-old male victim, who officials said operates with the comprehension of a small child, describes multiple accounts of sexual assault by Marchand at the non-profit and at an off-site facility where he worked as part of the jobs program.
The victim’s mother first became aware of her son’s abuse after finding pornography on his phone, which the victim said Marchand made him watch.
The victim told police and his mother that Marchand would give him money in exchange for sexual acts. He said he was forced to perform those acts against his will on different occasions with Marchand and a second male victim. The victim's mother told police he has no concept of money's value.
The second victim is described by officials as being nonverbal and having the comprehension of a four-year-old.
In the police report, Victim #2 had a difficult time describing the abuse but did indicate being sexually assaulted by Marchand on several occasions, including several encounters involving Victim #1.
The police report also describes how Victim #1 said also had an unwanted sexual encounter with female Harc client, but "Human Resources at HARC reportedly believed that Victim #1 lied about this incident." Police said Harc found love letters from the victim and the unnamed female client, but "in the forensic interview, the later conversations with his doctor and with his mother, Victim #1 insisted he felt pressured by this female to have sex with her."
The police report does not indicate the organization ever made the victim’s mother aware of those allegations.
In a statement, Harc said:
This is difficult news to share, but the Harc community draws its strength from being a family that works through adversity. I feel it is important that you are informed of a situation involving Harc.
Two clients have reported that a former Harc employee abused them while working at Harc. We are deeply troubled by these allegations. The authorities have arrested this former employee and we are cooperating with their investigation.
We all share the goal of creating an environment in which our participants can live productive and happy lives. Ensuring that they are safe is vitally important and we will remain vigilant in assuring this is the case.
Marchand’s bond has been set at $275,000.
He is being held in Hartford Correctional Center.