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Why have mandatory abuse reporting if the message falls on deaf ears? This is infuriating.School officials contacted DCF 20 times before boy spent 2 decades in bedroom: claimSchool officials contacted DCF 20 times before boy spent 2 decades in bedroom: claim
Police observed an 'extremely emaciated' man being taken from the home after it caught fire in February 2025.
School officials contacted the Department of Children and Families 20 times before a boy spent two decades captive in a room, according to a recently filed claim.
An arrest warrant reviewed by PEOPLE described the room as an eight-by-nine-foot storage space with angled ceilings.
According to the publication, a court-appointed conservator for the man, who is referred to in the documents as "S," has filed a claim seeking permission to sue the State of Connecticut for its alleged failure to remove the man from Sullivan's care, despite school officials making 20 calls to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) decades prior to his rescue.
The claim states that Tom Pannone, who was the principal of Barnard Elementary School when the man was a student, "indicated in an interview that he knew 'S' was being abused and reported the abuse to DCF, and not a damn thing was done." Pannone further indicated that "'S' was very small and thin and reported to administrators that he wasn't allowed food at the family home since he was 5." Pannone reportedly said that "school officials called DCF at least 20 times" in regard to the situation, per the publication.
The claim alleges that if DCF had properly investigated early reports of abuse, the man would have been "freed and allowed to live a normal life outside of captivity, without torture or abuse."
Exner told the publication that she will be seeking at least $50,000 in damages on behalf of the man. PEOPLE noted that the filing must first be approved by the commissioner's office before she would be allowed to formally proceed with a lawsuit.
www.ctpublic.org
DCF report on Waterbury captivity case remains unfinished more than a year later
A lawyer for the state Department of Children and Families said the agency's internal review examining any potential missteps by DCF workers is still in draft form months after it began.DCF report on Waterbury captivity case remains unfinished more than a year later
More than a year after launching its internal review, Connecticut's child welfare agency is still finalizing a report on how it handled the case of a Waterbury man allegedly held captive by his stepmother.
A lawyer for the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) testified at a hearing last month that a report examining any potential missteps by DCF workers who interacted with the victim's family was completed last year.
However, it remains an unfinished draft, attorney Lynn Hebert said — more than 14 months after the man's story of being held in captivity surfaced.
DCF has faced questions about its handling of the case after the alleged victim set fire to his home in February 2025 in what police described as a desperate bid to win his freedom.
DCF previously said it lacked sufficient evidence to remove the victim from the home, despite investigating six reports about his well-being over the course of nearly a decade.
Connecticut Public last year asked the agency to provide its internal assessment showing how it reached that conclusion. DCF denied the request, saying the documents are confidential child protective records.
DCF asked the state's Freedom of Information Commission to dismiss a pending complaint over the request. It argues the commission doesn't have jurisdiction to consider it.
Answering questions from a hearing officer last month, Hebert said DCF's bureau chief of continuous quality improvement was closely involved in the qualitative review of the Waterbury case, which produced a draft report she estimated was fewer than 50 pages.
"It walks through the case and outlines what occurred, what didn't occur, and makes the conclusions that inform our statement," Hebert said, referring to a two-page statement the department released in July 2025.
The statement briefly explains why DCF didn't remove the victim from the home, and notes the agency conducted "a detailed review of all records, reconstruction of the policies and procedures in place two decades ago (many of which have since been updated), and interviews with current staff who worked on the case."
Hebert testified she doesn't know why the document produced through the qualitative review isn't finished. A DCF spokesperson declined to answer additional questions.
"We will not comment further on confidential case records," the spokesperson said.
www.nbcconnecticut.com
yeah, she knew. She just didn't.Judge denies sale of Waterbury house tied to captivity case
In Waterbury Probate Court this morning, a judge heard Kimberly Sullivan’s case to open and sell the estate of her late husband, Kregg Sullivan, at 2 Blake Street in Waterbury. NBC Connecticut was the only media outlet in person in court. This house is at the center of a high-profile case, where...Judge denies sale of Waterbury house tied to captivity case
In Waterbury Probate Court this morning, a judge heard Kimberly Sullivan's case to open and sell the estate of her late husband, Kregg Sullivan, at 2 Blake Street in Waterbury.
NBC Connecticut was the only media outlet in person in court.
This house is at the center of a high-profile case, where a now 33-year-old man who goes by the name "S" said Sullivan, his stepmother, held him captive for over 20 years. Sullivan is facing multiple criminal charges for these accusations but has denied all of them.
NBC Connecticut first reported last week that Sullivan had reached a buyer's agreement with JD Homes LLC to sell the house for $110,000. At Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Matthew Vaccarelli told the court the LLC is not registered with the state.
Vaccarelli blocked the sale, despite Sullivan’s attorney telling the judge he had worked with JD Homes LLC before.
The judge questioned Sullivan as to why, when her husband died in 2024, Sullivan only listed her two daughters as his heirs, and not her stepson, S.
"It’s true to say that Kregg has another child who was not listed on that paperwork. Is that correct?” Vacarelli asked.
“Yes,” replied Sullivan.
She told the judge that she thought she only needed to list biological children.
“The attorney [in 2024] had asked me if we had children together, so I listed my two daughters, not realizing that it was supposed to be all the children," Sullivan said. "So, he had asked me, do Kregg and I have children together. So, I said, yes, we have two daughters together."
Sullivan's attorney told the judge that when they moved to open the estate in 2026, Sullivan was forthcoming and open about including S.
However, the judge declined to grant Sullivan's request due to the discrepancy, finding her explanation "disingenuous and not believable." The court is appointing a third-party attorney to take over the estate.
