Cops: Mom prevented man from sexually assaulting son

VERNON, Conn. (WTNH) -- Police are looking for any potential victims after a registered sex offender was arrested in Vernon on Thursday.

An investigation into 54-year-old Mark Tucker, of 155 West Main St., Vernon, began after police received a complaint from the mother of a 13-year-old boy who became suspicious of Tucker's relationship with her son.

Police said Tucker befriended the boy and hired him to wax his car. Tucker also took the boy out to dinner.

The mother became suspicious of Tucker's interest in her son, checked Connecticut's Sex Offender Online Registry and learned that Tucker was a convicted sex offender from the state of Vermont. She then called police.

"This is a very alert mother, who had a bad feeling about what was going on," said Detective James Grady, Vernon Police, "so she took the appropriate action which was very very good. She probably prevented something from happening."

After investigating police discovered that Tucker befriended the boy after seeing him hanging around a local Rockville store parking lot. Police then learned that Tucker's intentions were not to have the boy work for him, but to become friends with the boy and try to have a sexual relationship with him.

Tucker also offered the boy beer when he was with him.

Police said Tucker has a sexual attraction to early teenage boys.

During the time of the incident, Tucker was driving a grey/silver Cadillac Escalade SUV with CT plates.

It was later discovered that Tucker had a second Cadillac Escalade, which was a white 2011 model, stored in a Vernon Storage facility. That Cadillac was determined to have been stolen last month from the Scranton Cadillac/Buick/GMC dealership in Vernon. The vehicle is valued at $54,000.

Tucker was charged with criminal attempt at illegal sexual contact with a victim under age 16, risk of injury to a minor, criminal attempt to deliver alcohol to a minor, and first-degree larceny.

Tucker is being held on a $50,000 bond.

News 8 went to the apartment complex where he lives and showed his picture around.

"Have you seen this guy right here? His name is Mark Tucker. He was just arrested," said News 8's Bob Wilson. "Attempted sexual assault on a minor, and he lives right in here."

"He is a few doors down from me, I have seen him in the hallway, on the elevator going up and down," said Laura Hurlbirt. "He keeps to himself, doesn't really look at anybody, doesn't talk to anybody, just stays in his own world."

Police said they want to make sure his picture gets out there. They say if you see him or he has been hanging around with your children, they want you talk to you because they believe with his past history there may be other victims out there in the community.

"The information we learned from that case, there would be a likelihood there would be other victims that would be out there," said Det. Grady, "either the parents are unaware of something happening or it just wasn't reported.

Police say Tucker works at different apartment complexes doing maintenance: apartments where there are children.

Residents are applauding the police for getting the word out.

"I think everybody has a right to know, especially if it is right in your own back yard," said Hurlbirt. "There's kids who play right across the street on a regular basis. There are a bunch of boys who play out here every day after school and in the evenings together.