State drops charges against elderly Fairfield couple accused of lewd behavior

Water spills over a small dam at North Pond in the Grace Richardson Conservation Area. Six people were arrested Aug. 16, 2019 after complaints of lewd conduct in the area. Water spills over a small dam at North Pond in the Grace Richardson Conservation Area. Six people were arrested Aug. 16, 2019 after complaints of lewd conduct in the area. Photo: Contributed Photo Photo: Contributed Photo Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close State drops charges against elderly Fairfield couple accused of lewd behavior 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

BRIDGEPORT - State prosecutors dropped charges Tuesday against a Fairfield octogenarian couple accused of exhibiting lewd behavior in their car at a Fairfield park earlier this month.

Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Cornelius Kelly nolled second-degree breach of peace charges against 82-year-old Richard Butler and his 85-year-old wife, Joyce Butler, without comment.

Under a nolle, if the state does not pursue prosecution within 13 months, the case is automatically dismissed.

The Butlers had permission not to be present in court and could not be reached for comment.

The couple were arrested on Aug. 16 as part of an undercover police operation into complaints of lewd behavior at the Grace Richardson Conservation Area.

Four other men were also arrested on breach of peace and public indecency charges. Their cases are pending in Superior Court.

Police said they had been conducting the undercover operation at the park after receiving numerous complaints of lewd activity there.

Officer Michael Zerella was walking through the park in plain clothes at 4 p.m. when police said he spotted a Toyota Corolla parked directly in front of the entrance to the park.

The windows of the car were rolled down and the officer looked into the car and saw Butler’s sitting in the front seat of the car and Joyce Butler was in a state of undress, police said.

In a later media interview, Butler denied he and his wife were doing anything wrong.