Norwich — The city has tentatively settled a lawsuit with a young woman who charged that a former Norwich police lieutenant took topless photos of her in 2001 under the guise of using them for police business.

Kristen Ejchorszt was the first person to raise the allegations against Lt. James Daigle. In the ensuing months, two other women came forward with similar allegations, and further charged that Daigle took fully nude pictures of them. Ejchorszt said that Daigle recruited her to participate in an underage-drinking sting on Nov. 30, 2001. Daigle told her the topless photographs were necessary to properly document the sting, she claims.

City Corporation Counsel Michael Driscoll said this morning he learned of the settlement Wednesday just as jury selection was set to get underway in U.S. District Court in Hartford. Driscoll said the Connecticut Guaranty Insurance Fund would pay the $75,000 settlement since the city's insurance carrier at the time has gone into receivership.