Marine convicted of molestation

NORWALK - A former Marine was convicted last Friday of sexually molesting two teenage girls, according to the District Attorney's office.Jurors deliberated less than a day before convicting Ross Jay Curtis, 24. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 1 by Judge John Torribio in Norwalk Superior Court and faces a maximum sentence of 12 years and eight months in prison. Curtis was court-martialed in 2006 for sexual misconduct involving three female subordinates. He met the victims while he was serving as a volunteer drill instructor in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. According to prosecutors, Curtis met the 13-year-old victim at a three-day youth camp in May 2006, where he initiated a romantic relationship with the girl. They carried an "online affair" and Curtis sent the girl "salacious" e-mails. Two months after meeting, Curtis visited the girl at her middle school under the guise of attending a career day event and later had sex with her, prosecutors said. Less than a year later, Curtis met the 15-year-old victim at another youth camp. "In that instance, Curtis' actions became more brazen, as he courted the victim and had sex with her while on the camp grounds," prosecutors said.

********** Published: October 23, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 27