A 43-year-old Braintree man was arrested Friday in a South Shore child-sex-abuse investigation that has been running for years. The case centers on allegations of conduct reported to have occurred in 2021, but authorities have released few details about what investigators believe happened.
John Donovan is slated to be arraigned Friday in Brockton District Court on two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count of open and gross lewdness, according to Boston 25 News. The report said Donovan was arrested Friday morning and identified him as a Braintree resident.
The investigation was conducted by the Abington Police Department with assistance from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to the department's official news page. Authorities have not released additional details about the allegations, and the investigation remains ongoing.
What The Child Assault Charges Mean
The two indecent-assault counts fall under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 13B, which allows a sentence of up to 10 years in state prison or up to 2 1/2 years in a house of correction upon conviction, according to Massachusetts law. The charges are allegations, not a finding of guilt.
Case Heads To Brockton District Court
An arraignment is the first formal step in a Massachusetts criminal case, when charges are read, a plea is entered and the court may set release conditions, according to Massachusetts court guidance. Donovan is presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the charges in court, while officials have not said when additional details will be released.
