Former head of Boston police union faces slew of charges for raping young girl

(TMU) – Retired Boston Police officer and former police union president Patrick M. Rose hid his face while appearing in court Thursday in handcuffs, where he was ordered to pay and held on $100,000 bail for multiple charges of child rape.

Rose, who once was an outspoken president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, faces grave accusations of indecent assault on a child between seven and 12 years old and five counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14.

On Wednesday, the 66-year-old Rose was taken into custody before being pleading guilty to the disturbing allegations at his arraignment in West Roxbury District Court, reports CBSN Boston.

Rose served in the Boston Police Department from 1994 to 2018. In December 2014, Rose was elected as head of the city cop union until his retirement.

Investigators say that Rose allegedly sexually assaulted a member of his family when she was between the age of 7 and 12. According to a Massachusetts State Police report, the victim and another member of the family contacted Boston police about the alleged abuse on Aug. 2, reports Boston.com.

On Aug. 12, the victim was interviewed by the Sexual Abuse Intervention Network, where police reported that she “disclosed that on multiple occasions on diverse dates” she was molested by Rose, wrote state Trooper Russell Lloyd. The alleged acts of abuse “took place almost exclusively” at Rose’s home in West Roxbury, however “there was also one assault that occurred at an unidentified drive-in movie theater that occurred in another county,” Lloyd noted.

Lloyd wrote that Rose also showed the underage girl pornographic material on multiple occasions and exposed himself to her.

Rose now faces multiple charges, including rape and abuse of a child aggravated by age difference; enticement of children; disseminating obscene matter to a minor; open and gross lewdness; and five counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14, according to a criminal complaint filed with the Boston court.

The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association had no comment on the case, besides noting that Rose has retired and is no longer associated with the union, reports NBC 10 Boston.

“I am deeply disturbed by these horrific allegations, which must be investigated to the fullest extent of the law,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement.

Studies show acts of sexual abuse and misconduct toward minors by law enforcement officers is shockingly high.

A 2014 study of police sexual misconduct from Bowling Green State University found that sex crime victims who suffer at the hands of police are typically under the age of 18.

“Cases of sex-related misconduct and crime have been described as hidden offenses that are likely to go unreported and, hence, difficult to document and study,” the report said. “Victims may not report instances of police sexual misconduct to authorities because they feel humiliated or they may fear retaliation.”

Victims also face barriers to formally filing complaints because the process is unnecessarily difficult and intimidating, or runs the risk of forcing the victim to relive the trauma of sexual abuse.