This weeks case of child molestation by your local police


In Worcester court, former police officer from Lancaster admits to child rape
By Gary V. Murray TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
WORCESTER— A former police officer was placed on probation with a suspended jail sentence Thursday after pleading guilty to child rape and witness intimidation charges.
Timothy E. Monahan Sr., 64, of 1379 North Main St., Lancaster was sentenced to 5 years in the House of Correction, suspended for ten years with probation, after pleading guilty in Worcester Superior Court to child rape, two counts of unnatural child rape and witness intimidation.
The charges related to several sexual assaults
that occurred between Sept. 30, 1994, and March 19, 1996, beginning when the victim was about 12 years old, according to court records. Assistant District Attorney Courtney L. Sans said the rapes occurred in Mr. Monahan's home.
Mr. Monahan worked as a reserve police officer in Lancaster in 1978 and was later a member of the Leominster Police Department for several years. In response to questions posed by Judge Janet Kenton-Walker, Mr. Monahan said his last job was as a self-employed home repairman for about 20 years.
Mr. Monahan told the victim that because of his age and his position in the community as a former police officer, no one would believe her if she reported the assaults, according to court documents. He also told her that he would be angry with her and would stop buying her gifts if she told anyone, the records state.
The sentence imposed by Judge Kenton-Walker was recommended by Ms. Sans and Mr. Monahan's lawyer, Michael G. Cashman. Ms. Sans told the judge the victim was in agreement with the recommendation. She said the victim, now 31, wanted the matter resolved and Mr. Monahan to acknowledge his guilt.
"Because of his actions, my innocence has been taken away," the victim said in an impact statement read in court. She said she suffered "nightmares" as a result of the assaults.
When asked by the judge if he committed the acts outlined by the prosecutor, Mr. Monahan responded, "I believe so."
Under further questioning by the judge, Mr. Monahan said he was a heavy drinker at the time and had no memory of the assaults.
"My family and her family said I did it and I believe I did it," he said.
Mr. Monahan further acknowledged that there was enough evidence for a trier of fact to find him guilty of the charges.
Mr. Monahan, a Vietnam War veteran, told the court he suffers from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and has been prescribed medication for the condition. Mr. Cashman said his client has also suffered two strokes in recent years. He said he believed the strokes had contributed to Mr. Monahan's memory loss.
The defense lawyer said an evaluation he had done of Mr. Monahan showed he was a "very low risk" to commit another sex crime.
Mr. Monahan was indicted in 2012 after a state police investigation headed by Trooper Patrick McStay, according to Ms. Sans. The prosecutor said Lancaster police conducted an investigation in 1996, but that Mr. Monahan was not charged or prosecuted in keeping with the wishes of the girl's family.
The victim came forward in 2011 and said she wanted to pursue the charges, according to Ms.Sans.
As conditions of probation, Mr. Monahan was ordered to have no contact with the victim and no unsupervised contact with anyone under age 16. He was further ordered to remain alcohol-free with random testing, to register as a sex offender, to undergo sex offender counseling and to submit to GPS monitoring.