May 24, 2008 - Thomas Bavedas, 38, a third-grade teacher at Waltersville School, was arrested and charged Friday with raping a 
child. More charges against him are expected.
The second arrest warrant within two days for Bavedas was issued and served Friday, charging him with three counts of first-degree sexual assault and three counts of risk of injury to a minor. Police are not releasing the age of the victim, but she is under age 16 and Bavedas was known to the family.
The rape investigation, which included a search-and-seizure warrant executed Monday night at Bavedas' home, yielded "evidence of unrelated criminal activity," Nielsen reported. At least some of that activity was drug possession, police said.There is an indication that the offenses happened between three and seven years ago, which prompted Baveda's attorney to comment.
Bavedas was charged Wednesday with possession of marijuana, cocaine and drug paraphernalia and released on $30,000 bond. Police said Friday that they anticipate further charges.
"I have some concerns about the veracity of the complaints, when no complaint was made for three years," he said. "If there was, in fact, a sexual assault that took place, one would think that you would have reported it [earlier]."Bavedas resigned under the advice of his attorney. He is expected in court June 10.
TT - Planting doubt about the motives of the victim is a staple of defense attorneys, but the suggestion that a girl who may have been 15 years old (or younger) should have had the courage to face such a vitrolic verbal attack in public by a grown man when she wasn't even old enough to be in high school at the time is ludicrous. That a newspaper would print such a scurrilous remark is irresponsible.
Count on it. Attorneys hope such talk will discourage victims and their families from persisting up to trial because it makes plea deals easier without a determined victim and the strong support of their family. It takes guts to come forward when you know your motives will be impuned by attorneys, your reputation will be condemned by ill-informed students and frowned upon by educated, but even less supportive, teachers who seven chances out of ten will end up sitting behind the defendant at trial and will write letters asking for leniency if he is convicted.
ARRESTED (Again) July 18 - Two months after police accused him of sexually assaulting a girl under 16, Bavedas was arrested again and charged with first-degree possession of child pornography, importing child pornography, two counts of employing a minor in an obscene performance, four counts of risk of injury to a minor and two counts of voyeurism.Authorities said Bavedas had more than 60,000 photographs and more than 3,000 video images of child pornography on his home computer, including some photos he allegedly took himself. The preteen children in the photos allegedly taken by Bavedas were all from the Milford area, and investigators believe they have identified all of them.
His next court appearance is August 6. His lawyer said he expects Bridgeport police to file related charges soon. ODDLY, his lawyer also said, "It appears to me that the state would have a strong case if this case were to go to trial. The claims of the state speak for themselves."
July 19: Details revealed in child pornography charges
The Milford Police Department Computer Crimes Unit allegedly found 63,891 images and 3,256 videos of child pornography and child sexual assault saved on Bavedas' computers and storage devices.
They depicted children ranging from 6 months to 15 years old, including the 12-year-old relative he allegedly raped three separate times at his Brooklawn Drive home when she was younger, according to police.
