Editor’s note: The below describes sexually explicit incidents involving minors.
BURRILLVILLE – An unregistered Level II sex offender and his reported long-term girlfriend were arrested from a Garvey Ledges home last week and charged with multiple felonies after several parties provided evidence to police that the couple had conspired to share an obscene video and texts with the woman’s 16-year-old child.
Daniel Hunt, 44, and Holly Fugere, 41, were each charged with felonies including indecent solicitation of a minor, conspiracy and two counts of child endangerment following a several-month long investigation by Burrillville police. Fugere was additionally charged with two counts of neglect/abuse.
Police records on the investigation began in April, when a concerned party came forward to alert detectives that Hunt – a sex offender registered as “homeless” in Woonsocket who had been convicted of two counts second degree child molestation in 2012 – frequently stayed overnight at the residence with Fugere’s minor children. The witness would be one of several parties interviewed by police to express concern that Hunt was acting as a predator in the home and fear of further sexual assault.
Multiple parties told police that Hunt had been Fugere’s on and off boyfriend for years and that he was at the home several hours every day and sometimes overnight. They also showed police an explicit and obscene text message thread between Fugere and Hunt in which the sex offender indicated desire for her 16-year-old daughter. In the texts, Hunt sent a video of himself masturbating, urging Fugere to “show her.”
Police would later verify that Fugere sent the texts to her 16-year-old daughter, telling the victim that the explicit messages were about her and asking how it made her feel.
Witnesses shared further information regarding a 12-year-old girl living in the home and police heard allegations that Hunt would stare at the child, grab her butt and kiss her on the lips. Police heard reports that Hunt would tell the victim he loved her and become angry if she didn’t say it back, and would also take underwear and other items from her dirty laundry. The victim, they noted, was often left alone with Hunt.
The 16-year-old was staying at a boarding school out of town at the time of the police investigation, and when a witness attempted to bring her to the Burrillville station for an interview, Fugere allegedly called the school to say the individual was not allowed access. She also reportedly called the Burrillville Police Department, stating it was illegal for officers to speak to her daughter without her consent.
The 16-year-old victim would later tell police her mother directed her not to speak to investigators.
“The circumstances surrounding the 2012 conviction parallels the particulars developed in this investigation, where Mr. Hunt sought out relations with Ms. Fugere presumably in an attempt to have access to her minor daughters, who are very close in age to that of the victim in the aforementioned case,” noted Burrillville Sgt. Rebecca Carvalho in a narrative.
Witnesses told officers the 12-year-old victim would be hesitant to discuss the allegations with police due to previously watching her older brother and sister end up in group homes and DCYF custody. They noted that Fugere coached the girl to be afraid of making truthful disclosures to DCYF or police, in an attempt to protect herself and Daniel from authorities.
A DCYF representative visited the home and later told police Fugere admitted to him that she sent the inappropriate pictures to her daughter, but said she “realized afterwards it was wrong.” Fugere denied that Hunt had been living with her or that she had witnessed any inappropriate conduct.
“She explained that, while she is aware he is a registered sexual offender, she knows the claims were false, as she was once friends with the accusing parent, who admitted to her it was a lie,” notes the report.
When interviewed, Fugere listed a “myriad of mental health issues and excuses for her children’s cognitive abilities to offer reliable information to investigators.”
“I noted that the overall tone of the interview was widely accusatory towards her own children,” the report notes, adding that Fugere was evasive during questioning.
Police visited the boarding school to interview the 16-year-old victim, who told officers that she had grown to despise Hunt, and that she left the home to get away from him. She also provided “numerous instances” of Hunt’s “perverted behaviors,” according to police.
Hunt and Fugere were arrested at the Garvey Ledges home on Saturday, June 28. Hunt was arraigned on Monday, June 30 and pled not guilty. He was given a $40,000 surety bond and a no contact order with the victims. Fugere also pled not guilty, and was issued a $30,000 surety bond and a no contact order
Both cases are scheduled for pretrial conference on Monday, August 18.
