Vernon Nurse Sentenced For Trying to Arrange Sexual Encounter With An Infant

Former nurse and owner of the Vernon-based Connecticut Family Care Center Jay T. Mohler-Avery, of Hartford, was sentenced to 23 years in prison Thursday for trying to arrange a sex encounter with an 18-month-old child and trying to bill Medicaid for it, NBC News reports. 

This is what Patch printed in 2012 about Avery’s arrest based on information from the Vernon Police Department: 

On Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, Vernon Police arrested Jay T. Mohler-Avery, age 44, and Candace Merriam, age 46, both of whom reside at 25 Mountain Street, Hartford, and charged with crimes related to trying to engage in sexual conduct with an unidentified 18-month-old child.

Vernon Police began this investigation during mid-October when a patient of Mohler-Avery’s came to police to report that he had tried to recruit her and her four young children for sex. Mohler-Avery is a Connecticut Licensed Nurse Practitioner who owned and operated a medical practice, CT Family Care LLC, at the Vernon Professional Building, 281 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon. The identity of the victim and her family will not be disclosed pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes, which protect their identity.

Following this report, Vernon Detectives launched an investigation into Mohler-Avery’s alleged criminal conduct and medical practice. During the investigation, it was learned that Merriam worked for Mohler-Avery as his personal assistant at his medical practice and was involved in his criminal activity

During the course of the investigation, Mohler-Avery sought to arrange for his adult patient/victim to become his “sex slave” and also have her 18 month old child participate in the sex acts.

On the night of his arrest, Mohler-Avery arranged for the adult victim and 18-month-old child victim to be picked up in Vernon by Merriam for the purposes of having sex with the baby. When Merriam arrived in Vernon she was instead met by awaiting Vernon Police Detectives, who arrested her without incident.

As Merriam was arrested in Vernon, Vernon Police Detectives with assistance from Hartford Police Detectives went to Mohler-Avery’s residence in Hartford where they arrested him without incident.

Following these arrests, Vernon Police Detectives executed two simultaneous search warrants at Mohler-Avery’s Hartford residence and Vernon Office. As a result of the search warrants, detectives seized numerous pieces of evidence pertaining to the investigation

During this investigation, Vernon Detectives uncovered possible Medicaid fraud committed by Mohler-Avery. Vernon Police notified the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and inspectors from that office began their own investigation. Additionally, Vernon Detectives are working with investigators from the Connecticut Department of Public Health regarding their administrative investigation into Mohler-Avery

Recently the arrest records involving this case were unsealed by the Court. Therefore, Vernon Police are now releasing this information to help identify any individual(s) who may have information concerning Mohler-Avery and his medical practice that may assist this investigation.”