Ex-Greenwich official Chris von Keyserling sentenced to house arrest in sexual assault trial

A jury convicted Chris von Keyserling of fourth-degree sexual assault over the summer.

News 12 Staff

Oct 5, 2021, 6:57 PM

Updated 1,098 days ago

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A former Greenwich town official was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days of house arrest.
A jury convicted Chris von Keyserling of fourth-degree sexual assault over the summer.
Von Keyserling’s final exit from Stamford Superior Court was a lot quieter than his first entry there nearly five years ago. The case has garnered national and even worldwide headlines because of the political background.
Von Keyserling was facing up to a year in jail after being found guilty of groping a woman at a holiday party in 2016. The incident occurred while the two were in a heated argument about former President Donald Trump winning the presidential election.
Von Keyserling was a member of the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting at the time.
The victim claimed Von Keyserling said, "I love this new world. I no longer need to be politically correct."
Judge Kevin Randolph sentenced von Keyserling to 90 days house arrest with electronic monitoring as part of a two-year probation sentence.
Von Keyserling will only be allowed to leave for specific occasions including medical treatment, counseling, and religious services.
He won't have to register as a sex offender, but the judge granted a 10-year protective order against him.
Lynn Mason, the victim in the case, said in court, “Sex assault is devastating, no joke, and not something to which anyone, under any circumstance, is entitled.”
Mason and her husband Steve Fry say the sentence was fair and they're glad to have this chapter closed.
"I would say closure is the main thing…this has been a long and arduous journey for my wife and for me,” Fry says.
Defense attorney Phil Russell adds, “We're very pleased with the outcome today. At the same time, it was five years of pretrial here where he was living under protective order and in the public eye. He lost his seat in elected government and he's no longer involved in civic affairs, which he valued greatly, so there's been a price paid.”
Von Keyserling read a brief statement in court in which he said, "I offended her and for that I am very very sorry."