Sex offender accused of groping teen

By Gerry Tuoti, Staff Writer

Tue Apr 07, 2009, 11:29 PM EDT

Taunton - A 16-year-old girl has accused a convicted sex offender of groping her Tuesday in a local soup kitchen.

Raul Ruiz, 54, is being held on $25,000 cash bail on a charge of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older. He was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Taunton District Court.

During lunch at the soup kitchen in the basement of St. Thomas Church, the teenage girl’s 20-year-old sister and friends sat at one table. Since there were no seats left, the 16-year-old sat at an adjacent table. She told police that Ruiz sat next to her, touched her between her legs and tried to get her to go to his apartment.

After the alleged groping incident, the 16-year-old abruptly left the soup kitchen and met up with her sister and friends, who had already finished eating and were waiting outside. After telling them that she had been groped, they went to the police station.

While speaking with an officer, the girl pointed out Ruiz’s picture on the bulletin board of registered sex offenders posted in the police station lobby, according to police reports.

Ruiz was required to register as a sex offender after being convicted in 1993 of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years of age, according to the state Sex Offender Registry Board’s Web site.

When questioned by police, Ruiz claimed “it was all a set up,” according to Patrolman Stephen Joiner’s incident report. Ruiz denied touching the girl or even sitting next to her, claiming that she had asked to use his cell phone.

Ruiz is due back in court May 5 for a pre-trial hearing.

 

Name RAUL MELENDEZ RUIZ
Age 54 Race W Sex M Height 505 Weight 150 Hair Color BRO Eye Color BRO

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Live_Work_Other	ADDRESS	County
L	59 SCHOOL ST 7 TAUNTON MA 02780	BRISTOL

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Num Offenses	Offense	Conviction
1	INDECENT ASSAULT AND BATTERY ON CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE	11/17/1993