Matthew Nilo indicted on additional rape, indecent assault charges

BOSTON, June 27, 2023 – The New Jersey man charged earlier this month in a series of sexual assaults in Charlestown in the 2000s was indicted today on new charges connected to a spate of rapes and sexual attacks in the North End in 2007 and 2008, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

MATTHEW NILO, 35, was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury on seven charges—one count of rape, one count of aggravated rape, three counts of assault with intent to rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery.  The attacks occurred between January 2007 and July 2008

Nilo will be formally charged on the new counts at his next court appearance on July 13. Nilo was released June 15 after posting $500,000 bail.

The charges stem from five attacks on four women in the North End.  One of the victims was attacked twice, eleven days apart. The attacks occurred in January 2007, July 2007, January 2008 and July 2008. 

The incidents followed a similar pattern.  The victims were attacked while they were walking alone, in the dark, either at night or early in the morning. 

The newly-indicted attacks occurred at the time that Nilo was living in the North End and during the same period as the attacks against women in Charlestown for which Nilo is already charged.

“We will release more information at arraignment, but I can tell you today that DNA evidence played a role in these new indictments.  I can also tell you that the cooperation and coordination between our office, the Boston Police Department and the FBI has played a major role in our ability to secure today’s indictments and to give the survivors of these crimes the ability to see their attacker held accountable for his actions.  Lastly, I can tell you this case demonstrates that no attack will go uninvestigated, no suspect will go unpursued, and no amount of time will insulate a criminal from a crime,” Hayden said.

The victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, should call 911 in an emergency.  SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020.  SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601.  It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages.

Help is also available for members of our LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901. 

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.

 

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications

SCDAO