Former Farmington Private School Teacher Charged With Coercing Minor To Engage In Sex

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment today charging JOSEPH RAJKUMAR, 44, formerly of Farmington, with one count of use an interstate facility to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity.  The charge stems from RAJKUMAR’s sexual relationship with a student while he was a teacher at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington. 

The indictment alleges that, in approximately November 2011, RAJKUMAR used a computer connected to the Internet to entice a minor who had not reached the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity for which any person could be charged with a criminal offense.

If convicted of the charge, RAJKUMAR faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

RAJKUMAR previously pleaded guilty in state court to sexual assault in the second degree and, in January 2014, was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, execution suspended after 18 months, and 10 years of probation.  He is currently in state custody.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Farmington Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala

U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov