Former Hopkinton Deputy Chief of Police John "Jay" Porter was found guilty by a Middlesex jury on three counts of Rape of a Child. The victim, who was 15 years old at the time, was assaulted multiple times between 2004 and 2005 off school grounds, according to the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office.
Porter was serving as the school resource officer when the incidents occurred. District Attorney Marian Ryan said, "The defendant in this case abused his position of power to take advantage of and manipulate a child to gain her trust before sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions." The abuse began gradually, starting as a trusted relationship between a student and an authority figure and turning into inappropriate behavior, as reported by the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office.
The victim, who initially sought guidance and support from the officer during her ninth and tenth-grade years at Hopkinton High School, was placed in a harmful situation. In one incident, after being excused early from school, Porter offered to drive her home. He switched to his personal vehicle at the station before initiating contact that led to the assault. In a separate incident, after the student had been babysitting at his home, he assaulted her again during the drive back to her residence. The investigation involved the Massachusetts State Police and the District Attorney’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Maren Schrader and Victim Witness Advocate Meaghan McCarthy were involved in bringing the case to trial. Sentencing for Porter is scheduled for June 18 at 2:00 p.m., as stated by the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office.
