Police on Sunday morning arrested a 42-year-old New Canaan man and charged him with risk of injury to or impairing the morals of children.
At about 10:33 a.m. on Jan. 22, officers were dispatched to a River Street residence on a report of a dispute between two occupants, police said.
Following an investigation, Jiwen Chen of 139 River St. was charged with disorderly conduct as well as risk of injury.
It isn’t clear what prompted the felony charge or whether the offense is sexual in nature. Police withheld details, describing the dispute as a domestic incident.
Under state law, it applies to anyone who “(1) willfully or unlawfully causes or permits any child under the age of 16 years to be placed in such a situation that the life or limb of such child is endangered, the health of such child is likely to be injured or the morals of such child are likely to be impaired, or does any act likely to impair the health or morals of any such child, or (2) has contact with the intimate parts, as defined in section 53a-65, of a child under the age of 16 years or subjects a child under 16 years of age to contact with the intimate parts of such person, in a sexual and indecent manner likely to impair the health or morals of such child, or (3) permanently transfers the legal or physical custody of a child under the age of 16 years to another person for money or other valuable consideration or acquires or receives the legal or physical custody of a child under the age of 16 years from another person upon payment of money or other valuable consideration to such other person or a third person, except in connection with an adoption proceeding that complies with the provisions of chapter 803, or (4) intentionally and unreasonably interferes with or prevents the making of a report of suspected child abuse or neglect.”
Chen was released on $2,500 bond and scheduled to appear Monday in state Superior Court in Norwalk.