James Feeley, a 56-year-old Boston-area police lieutenant, is accused of raping a child under the age of 14. Court records reportedly show the victim was younger than 12 years old.
The 21-year veteran of the Winthrop Police Department pleaded not guilty at his Wednesday arraignment, according to WBZ-TV. He’s also said to be a church leader.
The alleged crime was reported Tuesday. Counts against the Massachusetts cop include indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14. Feeley was released on $200,000 bail and is wearing an ankle monitor. He’s due back in court January 29.
Winthrop Police said in a statement that the accused officer is on administrative leave “pending the outcome of a criminal investigation headed by State Police Detectives assigned to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.”
Details of the alleged crime haven’t been made public, though Feeley’s lawyer reportedly said in court his client, who has no criminal record, “brought shame upon his family” and was the one who brought “to light” the situation apparently leading to charges against him. The Boston Herald reported court documents stated Feeley allegedly assaulted the child victim multiple times.
Winthrop Police Chief Terence Delehanty reportedly told Massachusetts State Police detectives he was notified Tuesday the suspect was with family at his parents’ gravesites in a “bad way” and worried he was suicidal.
“Wait until I tell you what I’ve done,” Feeley reportedly told Delehanty.
Feeley studied sociology at UMass Boston until 1991 before joining the police department in 2001, according to his LinkedIn page. The Boston Herald said he became a lieutenant in 2020 after spending three years as a sergeant.
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