DCF worker released on bond in sex case

DCF worker released on bond in sex case
By John Pirro, Staff Writer
Published: 08:08 p.m., Wednesday, February 17, 2010

DANBURY -- Police claim that a social worker who recently separated from his wife used a pretext to lure a client to his house last week, where he allegedly gave her wine and drugs and attempted to have sex with her.

State police said the 19-year-old alleged victim sent several text messages to a friend, who came to the house and picked her up.

Subsequently, they said, Mark Swan barraged the woman with phone calls and text messages, telling her they "had to get the story straight," or he would get in trouble with his employer, the state Department of Children and Families.

The allegations against Swan, 48, a New Fairfield resident and a DCF employee since 2003, are outlined in a case file in state Superior Court, where Swan was arraigned Tuesday after being held by state police since his arrest Saturday evening.

Swan was released from custody after a judge reduced his bond to $250,000. He's due back in court on March 2.

According to police, Swan had been the woman's case worker since she was 16.

Police said that on Feb. 10, Swan called the woman, said she needed to sign some documents, and because the DCF office in Danbury wasn't open, arranged to meet her at a Route 37 cafe. The meeting occurred on a day when many state offices were closed because of an anticipated snowstorm.

When the woman arrived, Swan said the documents were at his home, and insisted on driving the woman there, according to state police.

At the house, Swan poured some wine and ground-up tablets of an anti-anxiety medication that he was taking, police said.

According to police, the woman said she drank a sip of wine, while Swan had about four glasses, and she snorted some of the drug, while Swan consumed most of it.

Police said Swan then held her down on a couch, tried to kiss and grope her while admitting that what he was doing "was inappropriate."

The woman managed to send several text messages to a friend, who came to the house and picked her up, police said. But over the next 12 hours, police said, Swan attempted to contact the woman more than 50 times by text and telephone.

On Saturday, she went to police, and investigators listened in to at least two phone calls, in which her version of the incident was confirmed, an investigator said.

Police arrested Swan late Saturday after they stopped him on Route 39 in New Fairfield for drunken driving.

State DCF spokesman Gary Kleeblatt said Wednesday that Swan has been placed on administrative leave by the agency.

Neither Swan nor the attorney who represented him in court Tuesday, Ray Lubus, could be reached for comment Wednesday.

Contact John Pirro

at jpirro@newstimes.com
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