Curtis Lundfelt of Quaker Hill was raised in East Lyme in a loving, two-parent home. He graduated from college, had a job in the engineering department of Mohegan Sun, is married and is now, for almost a year, a father.
Lundfelt had no criminal history and no history of substance abuse. So you could imagine the surprise when Waterford Police executed a search warrant on his computer in November 2011,
“You couldn’t ask for a more loving, supporting family,” said attorney Jeffrey McNamara, who represented Lundfelt. “They were all shocked by this.”
On Monday, Lundfelt was sentenced by Judge Patrick Clifford to one year in prison, followed by 10 years of parole and Lundfelt will have to register on the sex offender registry for 10 years after he plead guilty to third-degree possession of child pornography. Lundfelt, whose family sat in the New London Court House and watched in the audience, was apologetic.
“I apologize to the court for what I’ve done and to my family,” said Lundfelt, who was born in 1980. “I hope I can become a better citizen.”
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In November, Waterford Police executed a search warrant on two laptops and a homemade computer tower at Lundfelt’s home at 10 Richards Grove Road, where they found more than 450 images and videos of child pornography, according to a press release from Waterford Police and prosecutor Theresa Anne Ferryman. The pictures and videos were of pre-teen children and younger, according to Ferryman.
Lundfelt was originally charged in December of 2011 by Waterford Police with possession of child pornography and importing child pornography, and in March plead guilty to third-degree possession of child pornography. His five-year sentence, suspended after one year is the mandatory minimum for that crime, according to Clifford.
Lundfelt’s wife and parents, the latter of which live next door, knew nothing of the child pornography until Waterford Police executed the search warrant in November, McNamara said. McNamara said Lundfelt has taken full responsibility for the crime and has voluntarily entered counseling.
“He is very sorry for his actions,” McNamara said. “He will work though this.”
There was no evidence of Lundfelt ever abusing a child, according to Ferryman. Clippard said cases like this, where people with no criminal history and loving families are found with “unthinkable” materials on their computer, are becoming more and more common.
Lundfelt’s wife and parents watched the sentencing Monday, and declined comment after the sentencing ended.
