Former Foster Dad Arraigned for Raping Children in his Care

Michael Diaz repeatedly raped and abused girls, 12, and 11

BOSTON, January 10, 2020 — The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office under District Attorney Rachael Rollins today announced the arraignment of MICHAEL DIAZ, 34, of Chelsea, in Suffolk Superior Court on 13 charges, including four counts of aggravated rape of a child, six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child, one count of dissemination of matter harmful to a minor, one count of posing a child in a state of nudity and one count of possession of child pornography.  All of the charges stem from his treatment of pre-teen foster daughters in his care between 2017 and 2019.

“This is the most evil betrayal of trust I can imagine,’’ said District Attorney Rachael Rollins. “I am revolted by the charges, not only as District Attorney but as a licensed foster parent and an emergency foster care provider.

“Remember, foster children are brought into strangers’ homes during some of the darkest, most frightening times in their young lives. Foster parents are supposed to provide the children in their custody with the safety, support, stability, and care they need in order to move forward and recover from the trauma many have experienced prior to Department of Children and Families involvement. That an individual would further harm the most innocent and vulnerable among us represents unfathomable depravity.

“I promise the children and families who have contact with DCF and our foster care system that we will do everything within the power of this Office to ensure they receive exceptional care and protection. Further, I promise that this individual will be held accountable for his egregious, depraved, and criminal behavior and we will continue to investigate this matter. I am grateful for the work of my staff, especially ADA Alissa Goldhaber, Victim Witness Advocate Sarah MacIsaac of the Child Protection Unit.”

According to prosecutors, the defendant was a Department of Children and Families approved foster parent to the two victims when the sexual abuse occurred.

This Office first became aware of the allegations in early 2019 and the children were immediately removed from the home. Both girls had been instructed by the defendant to keep this behavior a secret, and for a while they did so. The defendant also gave the 12-year-old child two cellular phones and continued to communicate with her after she was removed from his foster home.  Those phones are now in the care and custody of the Chelsea Police Department. 

On June 29, 2019, the 12-year-old child disclosed to her biological mother that her foster father had sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.  She also confided in her mother that she was concerned about her 11-year-old foster sister. 

The children each participated in multidisciplinary forensic interviews in which they separately disclosed abuse by their former foster father.  

The defendant was arrested by the Chelsea Police on Friday, July 19, 2019, and his phone was seized at that time. Forensic examinations of the defendant’s phone and the two phones given to the 12-year-old by the defendant have produced corroborative photographic evidence.  Photos on the defendant’s cellular phone depict the 12-year-old child unclothed.  The defendant and victim’s phones also contain an image of the defendant and a grown woman engaging in oral sex, as described by the 11-year-old victim.

Following his arrest, Diaz was arraigned in Chelsea District Court on July 22, 2019. He was held on $50,000 cash bail and ordered to stay away from and have no contact with the alleged victims, have no unsupervised contact with any child under 18, and to wear a GPS monitor in the event his release on bail. At a later date, his bail was reduced to $25,000, which he posted.

He was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury on Dec. 19, 2019.

While the victims and witnesses of any crime should call 911 in an emergency, there are additional resources available to report suspected crimes against children. In Suffolk County, survivors of child abuse and exploitation and their non-offending caretakers can receive comprehensive services at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County. The CAC can be reached at 617-779-2146. Anyone who believes that a child in Massachusetts may be the victim of abuse can call the DCF Child at Risk Hotline at 1-800-792-5200.

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles some 25,000 cases a year. The 160 attorneys practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Court. The office employs about 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve everyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system and also serves to educate the public about important crime prevention and safety issues.