Byline: Gary V. Murray
September 5, 2009
WORCESTER - A Millbury Street man charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl was ordered held on $20,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty at his arraignment yesterday in Worcester Superior Court.
Angel L. Valentin, 36, of 605 Millbury St. was indicted Aug. 21 on charges of indecent assault and battery on a child, three counts of rape of a child with force, three counts of child rape and two counts of rape of a child aggravated by age difference.
Accompanied by his lawyer, Jacob P. Morris, Mr. Valentin entered not-guilty pleas to those charges yesterday morning. Judge James R. Lemire set bail of $20,000 cash or $200,000 with surety, as requested by Assistant District Attorney Joseph J. Reilly III, and continued the case to Oct. 13.
The aggravated rape charges were lodged against Mr. Valentin under a state law enacted last year that requires a mandatory minimum state prison sentence of 10 years for anyone convicted of raping a victim between the ages of 12 and 16 when there is more than a 10-year age difference between the defendant and victim.
The same mandatory minimum sentence applies if the victim is under 12 and the defendant is more than 5 years older, or if the defendant is a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse or neglect.
Medical personnel, teachers, clergy, social workers, mental health professionals, child care workers, guidance counselors, foster parents, police officers and others are mandated under state law to report cases of suspected child abuse or neglect to the state Department of Children and Families.
Child rape carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in Massachusetts.
The new law passed last year was a modified version of Florida's "Jessica's Law," written in response to the 2005 rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl by a repeat sexual offender.
The sexual assaults Mr. Valentin is charged with allegedly occurred on various dates from April 2007 to June 13 of this year. Police said the alleged victim was known to Mr. Valentin.
Mr. Valentin was arrested June 15 after the girl told a parent she was sexually assaulted by him two days earlier, and the parent took the 13-year-old to a local hospital, according to police.
Mr. Valentin was initially charged in Central District Court. The case was moved to Worcester Superior Court after he was indicted last month.
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