(Vernon, CT) – Matthew C. Gedansky, Tolland Judicial District State’s Attorney, and Sharmese L. Walcott, Hartford Judicial District State’s Attorney, announced that Akin Warner, previously of Windsor, pleaded guilty today in Rockville Superior Court before the Honorable Moira L. Buckley to two counts of Sexual Assault in the Second Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-71(a)(1) and two counts of Illegal Sexual Contact with a Minor, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53-21(a)(2), in cases arising out of the Tolland Judicial District, and one count of Illegal Sexual Contact with a Minor, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53-21(a)(2), one count of Sexual Assault in the Second Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-71(a)(1), two counts of Sexual Assault in the Third Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-72a and one count of Sexual Assault in the Fourth Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-73a, in cases arising out of the Hartford Judicial District.
Warner’s pleas follow his arrests in February 2022 following lengthy investigations by detectives with the Eastern District Major Crimes division of the Connecticut State Police, the Windsor Police Department and the Hartford Police Department. At the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021, detectives within these departments began receiving sexual assault complaints from numerous victims regarding the defendant. In the Tolland Judicial District cases, Warner began messaging with an underage victim, saying he was 17 years old. Warner was 25 years old at the time of the offense. He later met this victim along with another underage victim and sexually assaulted both of them at the Ellington boat launch.
In the Hartford Judicial District cases, the defendant sexually assaulted an underage victim he met over social media, as well as sexually assaulted numerous adult victims after providing them suspected laced beverages which incapacitated them. During some of his crimes, the defendant used the pretext of being a photographer to lure his victims into situations where they could be sexually assaulted. Warner used the popular “Snapchat” application to select and prey on his victims.
When he is sentenced in Rockville Superior Court on March 21, 2025, the defendant is expected to receive a total effective sentence of 25 years in prison, execution suspended after 12 years served, followed by 20 years of sexual offender probation. He will be required to register with the state Sexual Offender Registry for a lifetime period.
This case is being jointly prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Jaclyn Preville and Assistant State’s Attorney Stacey Cox.