WESTFIELD, MA/SOUTHINGTON, CT—According to Southington Police, they have arrested a Westfield man in connection with a video that surfaced in September of last year that allegedly showed him attempting to meet with someone who he reportedly “believed to be a minor through” in an online dating site.
Carl Bezo, 50, of Westfield, following his arrest on Jan. 19. (Picture courtesy of the Southington Police Department)
Southington Police reported that Carl Bezo, 50, of Westfield, was arrested on charges of criminal attempt to commit risk of injury to a minor, with the arrest reportedly occurring today, Jan. 19. Police reported that Bezo had turned himself in to the Southington Police Department after becoming aware of an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
According to police, Bezo had allegedly attempted to meet “what he believed to be a minor,” that he had reportedly met through an online dating site, a press release stated.
However, the minor was reportedly portrayed by a member of the POP Squad.
The alleged attempted encounter was recorded by the POP Squad and distributed to police and media, as well as accessible through their website.
The POP Squad is a Connecticut-based group that “protects our innocent children from internet predators,” according to their website.
The video shared also alleged that Bezo was an employee with the Westfield schools.
Following the video’s appearance, which included it being sent by email to police and school staff, a robocall from Westfield Schools to parents of students at North Middle School had gone on out the morning of Friday, Sept. 29, 2017.
The robocall had reported to parents that students were safe and that they were reportedly not involved, according to The Westfield News on Sept. 29, 2017.
Westfield Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said in that article that the department had received an allegation against an employee, that the employee was not at the school at that time, and that they were removed from North Middle School following the report.
However, Czaporowski did not identify the person in question at the time of the report.
When asked on Jan. 19, Czaporowski said that he is “not able to comment on anyone who no longer works for the district.”
According to the press release, Bezo was reportedly “not aware that the person was actually an adult from POP Squad, and continued to communicate with the person through the site and text messaging believing they were a minor.”
Police reported that Bezo allegedly agreed to meet the minor at a store, though when he arrived he was allegedly greeted by the POP Squad member.
The information and evidence gathered from the POP Squad, including chat logs and video, were also turned over to Southington Police, according to the press release.
Bezo was held on $100,000 bail, with a scheduled appearance at Bristol Court on Jan. 19.
