A 28-year-old Southington man has been sentenced to prison time after a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting a minor he met through Snapchat, capping a case that began with a report to Connecticut Children's Medical Center back in December 2020. Cody Cutler was convicted of second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor following a trial in Superior Court in Rockville.
According to CTPost, Cutler was sentenced to 40 months in state prison, to be followed by 10 years of probation, with the sentence attributed to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. Daily Voice separately reported that Cutler received a 10-year prison sentence suspended after 40 months, followed by 10 years of probation, while a Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice search snippet describes the sentence simply as 10 years in prison. The exact relationship between those figures could not be independently confirmed from the available state release.
The assault occurred on Dec. 18, 2020, after Cutler used Snapchat to connect with the victim, per the same Daily Voice account. She reported the assault immediately and was taken to Connecticut Children's Medical Center, where she received treatment. The care she received there provided physical evidence that corroborated her report, and prosecutors said the medical evidence backed her account.
Victim Described Toll of Testifying
The victim testified at trial and later addressed the court directly during the sentencing hearing, describing the mental and physical impact of both the assault and the trial process, the outlet's report notes. She said she felt uncomfortable telling her parents the details of what had happened to her, and that she was forced to describe painful events in extreme detail while on the stand.
The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Emily Trudeau, with assistance from Inspector John DiVenere and Paralegal Specialist Jennifer McDermott, according to the Bristol Press. Trudeau thanked the victim for reporting the assault and for testifying at trial, and said the sentence holds Cutler accountable while potentially encouraging other victims to come forward. She also said meaningful prison sentences in sexual assault convictions reinforce accountability and can encourage other victims to speak up.
