Newstimes
Dirk Perrefort
DANBURY — The victims of a decades long sex trafficking ring claim one of the suspects was having sex with young men for more than 40 years while infected with HIV.
The claim was made recently in a civil lawsuit against Bruce Bemer, a Glastonbury businessman who was one of three men arrested last year in connection to the sex ring. Authorities claimed that Danbury resident Robert King would ply his victims with drugs before selling them to clients like Bemer.
The filing states that Bemer had been infected with HIV and had knowingly engaged in unprotected sex with the victims of the ring without disclosing he had the virus.
It comes after Superior Court Judge Dan Shaban granted a request in the criminal proceedings in March to have Bemer tested for HIV. The results of the test were to be disclosed to the victims.
Attorney Anthony Spinella, who is representing Bemer, argued that the request violated his client’s privacy rights. He added, in response to the civil claim, that it was “designed to arouse a homophobic response.
“It is scandalous and completely immaterial to the allegations in the complaint,” Spinella stated in his brief to the court filed late last week.
An attorney for the victims, however, claimed that exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases are compensable injuries.
“The defendant’s attempt to inject homophobia into this case is unfounded, insulting and disingenuous,” stated attorney Joel Faxon in his response.
Bemer has already agreed to set aside $25 million of his assets to satisfy any potential judgment in the case.
His criminal case, meanwhile, is proceeding to trial. Bemer rejected a deal in January that would have given him probation had he agreed to plead guilty in the case. He is charged with one count of patronizing a trafficked human.
Westport resident William Trefgzer has already pleaded guilty to the charge after accepting a deal from prosecutors that called for time served. He is expected to be sentenced on the charge next month.
Charges are also still pending against King.