An 80-year-old man, Robert LeBlanc of Methuen, was formally arraigned on charges of child rape and indecent assault yesterday in a Salem courtroom. The Essex County District Attorney's office announced that LeBlanc pleaded not guilty to a series of charges including rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, among other counts.
LeBlanc, who served as the town manager of Methuen from 1976 to 1981 and had legal ties to the Massachusetts Democratic Party, faced a judge at Superior Court in Salem, where he was ordered to stay away from any victims or witnesses related to the case. He's also prohibited from unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 years of age, according to Boston.com. This legal development adds to a checkered past wherein LeBlanc was reportedly banned from campus of Greater Lawrence Technical School in 2005 after allegations of following and propositioning a student.
Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said in a statement that LeBlanc has been charged with attempt to commit crime – indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older, in addition to the other allegations. Boston 25 News reports that he was required by Judge Salim Tabit to report immediately to the Methuen Police Department for booking.
Details on the specific allegations against LeBlanc remain sparse. His attorney has declined to comment on the case following the arraignment yesterday evening. The case is slated for a pretrial hearing set for May 20, where further information may come to light.
