Former Boston Police Officer Charged with Additional Child Rape Offenses

BOSTON, August 25, 2020 — Patrick Rose, Sr., a former Boston Police officer accused of child rape and sexual assault, was  arraigned today on 16 additional charges alleging he repeatedly sexually assaulted and abused four additional children, bringing the total number of his victims to five, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said.

Rose, 66, a former president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, was arraigned earlier this month for crimes against one child victim including five counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, and one count each of aggravated rape of a child, enticement of a minor, open and gross lewdness and dissemination of matter harmful to a minor.  The new charges contained in four complaints include 11 counts of rape of a child (not aggravated) and five counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. For three of the new victims, the rapes occurred in the 1990s, and for one of the new victim’s the indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 occurred within the past two years.

“There is nothing more horrible and depraved than sexually abusing a child, and in this case it is made even more unfathomable that the defendant is a former member of law enforcement.  He actually swore an oath to protect victims from harm, instead he was preying on and harming our most vulnerable and innocent, young children. This behavior is unconscionable.” District Attorney Rachael Rollins said.

ADA Audrey Mark asked that Rose’s $250,000 bail be increased to $300,000. Judge Kathleen Coffey increased it by $5,000 per complaint for a total of $270,000. Additional conditions -- such as Rose stay away from victims, have no unsupervised contact with children under 16, surrender his passport, surrender both his firearms and his firearms license and be affixed with a GPS device within 24 hours of release -- remain in place.

“It can be incredibly challenging to disclose sexual assault, particularly for a child.  While it can be difficult for many people to understand, victims of sexual abuse frequently keep the assaults secret or only disclose long after the abuse has ended.  When an abuser is a person in a position of power, trust or authority, a child is often frightened to report abuse.  There is often lots of shame associated with the behavior and children may think that they’ll be blamed or they won’t be believed – often because abusers emotionally manipulate their victims and convince them that other caring adults will think they are lying and won’t come to their aid,’’ DA Rollins said.

“But my Office and our partners at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County are always here to provide the help that survivors of all ages need to begin healing.

“The victims of these heinous crimes and their loved ones have suffered immeasurably as a result of this abuse, and I ask the media and the public to respect their right to cope and heal with this significant trauma in private.  This will be a difficult and long process for each of them.  I want them to know that they have the support of my entire Office. We will be standing by their side throughout this entire process.’’

The investigation into Rose is ongoing. Anyone with additional information should contact the Suffolk County State Police Detectives Unit at (617) 727-8817.

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.

Kate Lagana is the assigned Victim Witness Advocate.   Rose is represented by William Keefe.  The case returns to court September 23.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 25,000 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.