A so-called outreach police officer in Massachusetts has been indicted on charges he repeatedly raped a homeless 16-year-old while on-duty working for Lowell Police Department’s outreach program, according to the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office.
Lowell police officer 49-year-old Kevin Garneau was charged with two counts of rape in connection with several incidents, which the DA’s office says happened while officer Garneau was working with the city’s program geared toward providing assistance for homeless individuals and people with substance abuse issues.
The victim told investigators Garneau entered her tent, which the program provided and told her there were warrants out for her arrest.
However, Garneau told the victim he would not arrest her in exchange for sex.
Garneau allegedly sexually assaulted the victim several more times in the months following the initial assault, according to WCVB.
Garneau worked as a member of the Community Opioid Outreach Program, developed by Lowell police, fire and EMS.
“”I’m astonished and deeply disappointed. I acted as soon as we were made aware of these allegations. This is not what the men and women of the Lowell PD represent,” Lowell Superintendent of Police Raymond Richardson said in a statement provided by the department.
Officer Garneau was indicted by a Middlesex grand jury on Wednesday, according to WCVB.
He was placed on leave in May, when an internal affairs investigation began and is due back in court July 23.
Read the Lowell Police Department’s Official Statement from their Facebook page here.
Officer Garneau, who resides in Pelham, New Hampshire, has been working for the Lowell Police Department for 19 years.
He was released on his own personal recognizance, meaning he did not have to pay a bond to be released from jail, and given a GPS monitor and ordered to stay away from the victim, according to Boston 25.
Allegations about the incident came to light in January 2019.
However, Garneau was not indicted until June 26.
