Hartford
Richard Dinsmore was ordered held without bail on two felony counts of repeated aggravated child sexual assault; both charges carry life prison sentences.
According to a police affidavit in the case, Dinsmore admitted to the abuse when questioned by authorities earlier this week.
Dinsmore, an employee of Prime Subaru of Vermont in Norwich, formerly The Car Store, became the subject of an investigation in late September after a detective received a phone call from one of the victim’s relatives, who made the abuse allegation.
Investigators held interviews with one of the victims, who described repeated sexual abuse, saying at times Dinsmore would offer bribes in exchange for sex acts.
Investigators say Dinsmore allegedly assaulted the first child between 1993 and 1999 and the second child between 2008 and 2010.
The case came to a head on Tuesday when police questioned Richard Dinsmore in his office at the dealership about the alleged abuse. He acknowledged sexually assaulting both victims, according to the affidavit, which was written by Hartford Police Department Detective Kristinnah Adams.
He also told police he had sexually explicit videos of one of the victims in his possession and that he would threaten to use them as “blackmail,” the affidavit states.
“Richard advised that he made mistakes that he regrets and that he doesn’t want to go to jail but feels bad,” Adams wrote in the affidavit.
Meanwhile, the state has suspended the registration of a home-based day care on Hazen Street in White River Junction operated by Dinsmore’s wife, Linda.
The charges Dinsmore faces are not connected to children who attend the day care, but police said the Department for Children and Families is working with Linda Dinsmore and parents of the children in her care to establish if any were victimized, according to the affidavit.
In addition, Linda Dinsmore is under a DCF “risk of harm” investigation, an assessment that will focus on her willingness and ability to protect the children in her care from harm, the affidavit said.
Linda Dinsmore has run a registered family child care home since 1997, a day care classification that allows her to care for up to 10 to 12 children depending on their ages and the time of year.
On Tuesday, authorities temporarily suspended her registration, DCF spokeswoman Luciana Diruocco said.
Linda Dinsmore hung up on a reporter’s phone call on Wednesday.
After police took Dinsmore into custody, authorities went to the Hazen Road home.
Linda Dinsmore told authorities she wasn’t aware of an alleged sexual abuse of the first victim, but was “a little suspicious” about her husband’s conduct toward the other victim.
According to the affidavit, Dinsmore was investigated by the FBI in 2005 after he bought into a child pornography website. His wife was aware of that investigation; the outcome of it is unclear from the affidavit.
Richard Dinsmore’s father appeared in court on Wednesday and was ready to offer his son a place to stay if he was released on bail after the arraignment.
Deputy Windsor County State’s Attorney Heidi Remick, however, argued that Dinsmore should be held without bail, citing the serious nature of the offenses and the evidence of guilt in the case.
Dinsmore’s attorney, Michael Shane, argued for bail with conditions of release, saying his client has no prior criminal record and isn’t a risk of flight.
Windsor Superior Court Judge Thomas Devine decided to hold Dinsmore without bail pending a weight of evidence hearing. The date of that hearing wasn’t available on Wednesday; it could be held as early as next week.
Devine will then reassess whether to continue to hold Dinsmore without bail.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.