A 48-year-old Lowell man is facing an aggravated rape of a child charge after prosecutors say a girl came forward with disturbing allegations of years of sexual abuse.
Alex Castellano was arrested on Feb. 19 and arraigned the next day, where he pleaded not guilty, according to court records. A judge set his bail at $5,000 and ordered home confinement with electronic monitoring while the case proceeds.
As reported by the Boston Herald, Castellano surrendered his passport, was fitted with a GPS device and was ordered to have no unsupervised contact with minors or with the alleged victim. The Herald reports he posted $5,000 cash bail and was granted a work-related curfew from 09:00 to 16:00. He is scheduled to return to court for a probable-cause hearing on April 28, 2026.
Legal stakes and penalties
Aggravated rape of a child is among Massachusetts' most serious sex offenses and can carry lengthy state prison sentences along with strict probation conditions. State law sets out tough penalties for rape-related crimes, including mandatory minimum terms in some situations.
For statutory language and classifications, see Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 265 and the list of sex offenses on Mass.gov.
What investigators say
Court and police records, cited by the Boston Herald, state that the girl told investigators the abuse began when she was about 5 years old and continued until she was roughly 10 or 11. She said it happened "a few times a month," according to those records.
The allegations were first brought to Lowell police on Dec. 10, 2025, the records say. Investigators then conducted a video- and audio-recorded interview with the girl on Dec. 18.
The Herald also reports that an adult who knows Castellano told authorities she was sexually assaulted by him when she was a teenager, according to the same court paperwork.
Defense, enforcement and next steps
Castellano has denied the accusations, telling investigators the girl might have made the claims for attention, according to the Herald's account of court records. His longtime partner told police that the household's relationship with children was positive.
The case remains under active investigation in Lowell District Court. Law enforcement agencies in Middlesex County have highlighted continued work on child sex abuse cases in recent years, according to the Middlesex Sheriff's Office.
Per the current court schedule, Castellano is due back in court on April 28, 2026, for a probable-cause hearing as prosecutors determine their next steps.
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