MANCHESTER, NH – A man accused of molesting a 7-year-old girl was released on personal recognizance bail but with conditions he have no contact with her, his children, his wife or anyone under the age of 18.
On Wednesday, Manchester Police Chief Carlo Capano criticized the court for allowing Russell Debreceni, 31, of 181 Taylor St, Apt. 1, “to walk free rather than see him as a danger to the public. This is a horrific crime, yet Mr. Debreceni is out on bail with the potential to offend again. This is a perfect example of how the current bail reform system is failing our community. I’m disgusted by this turn of events. Manchester investigators work tirelessly to take dangerous criminals off our city streets and when you release them back into our community, it sends the wrong message.”
The bail order was imposed by Judge N. William Delker in Hillsborough County Superior Court Northern District.
Debreceni was arrested on July 1 on a charge of aggravated felonious sexual assault and was held in the Valley Street jail until July 14 when the bail order was issued.
According to court records, just before midnight on June 30, his fiancée walked into the bathroom to find him molesting the child.
The fiancee cornered Debreceni in their room and he admitted he had touched the child in appropriately according to the sworn affidavit of Officer Guy R. Kozowyk.
After the confrontation, Debreceni left the house with his brother. But before leaving, the fiancée said he made superficial cuts on his forearm with a knife in what appeared to be a self-harming/suicidal action.
The child later underwent a SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner) examination at the Elliot Hospital where it was confirmed that the child had suffered trauma.
On July 1, Debreceni, accompanied by his mother, went to the police station to be interviewed by detectives but when asked about the allegations he said he wanted an attorney. Detectives spoke with his mother who told them her son told her, “I’m sick…I’m guilty,” and that “It happened a few times over the last year.”
Debreceni is to live with his mother in Derry and had to sign a waiver of extradition before he was released from jail.
If you or someone you care about have concerns about the safety of a child contact Manchester Police Department, call 911 or reach out to Amoskeag Health’s ACERT (Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team) at 603-626-9500 ACERT@amoskeaghealth.org.
Editor’s Note: The story has been edited to exclude some of the details of the crime, which were included in the court documents.
