Victim Shares Details of Abuse by Reardon, by LeAnne Gendreau and Amy Parmenter, NBC Connecticut, June 14, 2011

Victim Shares Details of Abuse by Reardon

By LeAnne Gendreau and Amy Parmenter
NBC Connecticut
June 14, 2011

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Victim-Shares-Details-of-Abuse-By-Reardon--123832509.html

The second trial began on Tuesday in connection with a doctor who police said sexually abused at least 500 children from the 1960s through 1980s.

When the second day of the trial begins, a West Hartford police officer will take the stand and show photos the plaintiff and his sister were forced to pose for when they participated in a study Dr. George Reardon conducted at St. Francis Hospital.

In 2007, 40,000 to 50,000 pornographic pictures were found hidden in a basement wall of Reardon's former West Hartford home as the new owner was doing renovations. It was evidence that the study was a front for sexually abusing the children, prosecutors said.

The plaintiff's sister, who is in the photos, testified on Tuesday that West Hartford police have photos of Reardon sexually abusing her and her brother.

She has no recollection of the abuse and does not want to remember what happened, she said, but has long had a strained relationship with her brother, who remembers everything.

One of the victims to testify on behalf of the plaintiff is, Kevin Hunt, who said on the stand that he wanted to use his real name instead of the pseudonym in court documents.

He met Dr. George Reardon at a judo club, he said, and he did not want to be part of the doctor’s sexual growth study, but it was difficult to say no to a prominent doctor.

Hunt said Reardon sexually abused him and another boy from the judo club and convinced the two boys to be photographed together so he could save film.

Another victim’s testimony provided graphic details of being molested by Dr. Reardon, who would later take the boy and his brothers out for ice cream.

He said West Hartford police had about 100 pornographic images that Reardon took of him.

The hospital and the law firm of Stratton Faxon reached a settlement in May on 32 cases the firm was handling for Reardon's victims. The financial amount of the settlement has not been released.