Crime & Safety

Man Accused of Groping Girls at Winding Trails Sentenced to Jail

Mark Tully, of Farmington, was sentenced Wednesday for 2012 incident.

Mark Tully, the Farmington man who was arrested for trying to grope three girls outside the Winding Trails bathroom in 2012, was sentenced to jail on the charges Wednesday.

Tully, who lived at Essex Court, pleaded no contest to the charges in May. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and five years of probation, according to a Hartford Courant article.

According to the article, several people spoke for Tully, attesting to both his good deeds and his crippling alcoholism. Tully's blood alcohol level at the time of the incident was 0.3 percent and he reportedly had two bottles of vodka with him.

On the day of the incident, Tully reportedly approached three girls - sisters ages 7 and 13 and a 13-year-old friend - at the outdoor shower area near the beach and offered them ice cream.

Police said that Tully cornered one of the 13-year-old girls, backed against a corner and touched her chest. Officers said it looked as though Tully had tried to remove the girl's bathing suit. The girl was able to break free and run into the locker area with the two other girls. Some older girls escorted them past the man to notify parents and staff.

According to the Courant, the girls' family testified that the incident had traumatized them and one of the girls continues to be afraid to be alone. 

Acquaintances have said that Tully was a successful businessman whose life fell apart as his alcoholism worsened. 

Tully's brother and sister reportedly told the judge they feared Tully would drink himself to death. While the judge acknowledge drinking had been involved in the incident, he said it did not excuse the actions.

On Wednesday Tully was also sentenced to 6 months in jail for driving under the influence. According to the Courant, he has been arrested three times on drunken driving charges since the Winding Trails incident.


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