$1 million bail for Lowell man charged with child rape

BOSTON, January 8, 2025 – A Lowell man was ordered held on $1 million bail today after being charged in Suffolk Superior Court with raping a girl starting when she was five years old, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

MAYNOR FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ-RODAS, 38, a Guatemalan national, is charged with four counts of aggravated rape of a child, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count of enticing a child under 16. A Suffolk County grand jury indicted Hernandez-Rodas on December 11.

Clerk Magistrate Edward Curley set bail at $1 million and ordered Hernandez-Rodas back to court March 5 for a pre-trial hearing.

Hernandez-Rodas is charged with similar crimes against the same victim in Middlesex County.

Assistant District Attorney Kate Fraiman said that in May 2024 the then 10-year-old victim disclosed that Hernandez-Rodas had assaulted her repeatedly from the age of five at various locations in Chelsea, Lowell, and Lynn.  The victim reported that the abuse started in Chelsea and later continued in the two other cities.                                                                                                

“We take great care when dealing with such young victims of any type of crime, particularly sexual crimes.  Our expert and caring prosecutors, investigators and victim advocates will help this survivor and her family throughout the entire judicial process,” Hayden said.

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 and for survivors of abuse to receive help. 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.  Survivors may also contact the Child Protection Unit at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at 617-619-4300.  Anyone who believes that a child in Massachusetts may be the victim of abuse should call the DCF Child at Risk Hotline at 1-800-792-5200.

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