New London Man Sentenced In Risk Of Injury Plea

A 38-year-old New London man accused of sexual assault must abide by numerous probation conditions but will not be required to register as a sex offender after pleading to a lesser charge.

Judge Patrick J. Clifford sentenced Xavier Cluff, of 81 Truman Street, to serve six months of a three-year prison sentence in the on Friday. Cluff entered an Alford plea, which does not admit guilt but recognizes that the state has enough evidence for a conviction, to a charge of risk of injury to a minor on June 27. A charge of second-degree sexual assault was dismissed.

Cluff must also serve three years of probation. During this time, he must attend sex offender counseling and training, have no direct or indirect contact with his accuser or her family, have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 18, and not loiter in areas frequented by children under the age of 16. He must also have a probation officer approve any supervised contact with children and inform the officer of any job involving computer use and any new or existing romantic relationships.

According to an affidavit by Officer Jean Cavanaugh of the East Lyme Police Department, a mentally handicapped 15-year-old girl accused Cluff of sexually assaulting her in different hotels in the area, including one in East Lyme and one in Groton, between August of 2008 and January of 2009. Cluff told police that he had rented rooms in several motels in the region, but had not taken the girl to any of them.