DeMarco said the investigation is expected to take two to three weeks. Capt. Roger Hart said it will include a check of the Police Department's computer systems to see whether they were used in illicit activity.
But the chief also said police have received no complaints suggesting that Seligman, a patrol officer, engaged in misconduct while on duty.
DeMarco said Seligman's arrest appears to have stemmed from an "isolated incident" involving off-duty conduct.
But he added that off-duty conduct can be a basis for disciplinary action in the Police Department.
DeMarco said Seligman hasn't been a "discipline problem" as an officer.
He added that Seligman has a "long military background," in the Army, before the Police Department hired him 4½ years ago.
DeMarco said the FBI notified him Monday morning that it had a warrant for Seligman's arrest in what the chief described as a "rapidly evolving case." He said Seligman arrived early for his shift that afternoon and was arrested at that time.
Few details of the federal case against Seligman have been made public. But U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O'Connor has announced that Seligman is accused of using the Internet in an attempt to persuade an 11-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.
Seligman initially was held without bail, and a hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday in U.S. District Court in Hartford on whether he should continue to be jailed while awaiting trial.
If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, up to a life term of probation after his release from prison, and a fine up to $250,000, O'Connor said.
Seligman, who lived in Bolton before his divorce two years ago, is the father of two boys, ages 5 and 6. He wrote at least five letters to the editor of the Journal Inquirer in the 2002 through 2005 period, including two that opposed certain gun-control measures.
In a January 2005 letter, he decried efforts to block the execution of serial killer Michael Ross, arguing vigorously in favor of the death penalty.
"And 'life without parole'?" he asked rhetorically in the letter. "If only we could trust that it were so." |
