Judge Reduces Bail for Man Charged with Sexually Assaulting Minor

A Chicago man extradited Friday to Farmington due to charges of sexually assaulting a child under 13 was arraigned in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday. 

Judge Joan Alexander dropped David Waite's $1 million bond to $250,000 because he was cooperative with police and there was "strong community support" for him. She continued his case to Nov. 19 at the request of the defense and asked that he be added to the JD docket.   

Little was said about the circumstances that led to the charges Waite, 54, faces of risk of injury to a minor and sexual assault of a first victim under 13 years old.  As of now, the arrest warrant remains sealed because the case involves a juvenile victim and pending investigations in Farmington, Illinois and New Jersey, according to police. 

The judge reviewed character letters submitted by the defense from people who know Waite in Chicago and vouched for him, including two neighbors who have six-year-old female twins. 

Waite's wife, another family member and a friend flew out from Chicago to come to his court appearance to support him.

“They’re totally shocked of this type of incident," the defense attorney said, though he didn't elaborate on the details.

Police called Waite "out of the blue" at his Chicago home to let him know there was a warrant out for his arrest, according to the defense. Waite's counsel said that he was cooperative with police when they searched his home and when Farmington detectives extradited him to Connecticut. 

"There’s no evidence that he did anything but surrender," the defense attorney stated.  

During the search, police scanned Waite's computer and found no evidence of child pornography on it, according to the defense. 

Waite sat in jail in Illinois for a few days while police further investigated the case, according to the defense. Farmington police retrieved him on Friday and he was flown to Connecticut "without incident," according to the defense. Farmington police held him in custody over the weekend on a $1 million bond. 

Courts were closed on Monday due to Columbus Day and he was held in lock up until his court appearance around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The defense confirmed that Waite is likely to post bail, though the timeline was unclear.