Boston Police are asking the public for help identifying a man accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl while she was riding an MBTA train, officials said. The department has not released the man's name, and it remains unclear whether he has been identified or is still at large.
According to WHDH, officials said the girl was sexually assaulted while aboard the train, and police are now appealing to the public to help track down the suspect. The station's report does not specify which line or station the assault occurred on, and it is not yet known whether investigators have recovered surveillance footage of the incident.
Anyone with information has been asked to contact MBTA Transit Police, the agency with primary jurisdiction over safety on the subway, bus, and commuter rail system. Created under Chapter 161A of the Massachusetts General Laws, MBTA Transit Police operate as a civil service law enforcement agency with full police powers across nearly 200 cities and towns in the transit system's service area, according to Mass.gov.
How Riders Can Report Tips
Transit Police maintain a 24-hour dispatch line at 617-222-1212, a text tip line at 617-600-0683, and a Criminal Investigations Unit tip line at 617-222-1050 for witnesses who may have information, per the MBTA. Riders can also use the agency's See Say mobile app, which was updated in March and lets passengers discreetly submit real-time tips, photos with automatic flash suppression, and train car locations directly to 24-hour police dispatchers. The app was reportedly designed specifically to let riders report concerns without drawing attention to themselves while still on board.
What Massachusetts Law Says About the Alleged Offense
Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 13H, indecent assault and battery on a person aged 14 or older carries penalties of up to five years in state prison or two and a half years in a house of correction, along with mandatory sex offender registration upon conviction. Because the alleged victim is 17, the case also falls under statutory protections Massachusetts expanded this month for minors aged 16 and 17, which establish severe felony penalties for offenders who hold a position of authority or supervisory control over the victim, according to Holland & Knight. Separately, Massachusetts House Bill 4645, effective this past March, made any physical assault or threat against MBTA transit workers or passengers on transit property a felony punishable by up to two and a half years in prison.
A Pattern of Assaults Reported on the T
This is not the first time Transit Police have appealed to the public after a sexual offense against a minor aboard the system. In July 2024, MBTA Transit Police arrested a 49-year-old man near BHA/Angell Street after he allegedly enticed a 15-year-old girl on an MBTA bus and exposed himself, a case in which investigators later learned the suspect had five pending sexual assault cases at the time, Hoodline previously reported. In August 2022, Transit Police arrested a 28-year-old man following a three-week investigation into a rape reported inside the MBTA Tufts Medical Center station, according to CBS News.
Transit Police have also recently sought public help identifying suspects in other cases involving alleged sexual misconduct on the system, including an appeal for a suspect accused of upskirting at South Station and an appeal following a violent incident on the Orange Line. Those cases remain part of a broader pattern of appeals from Transit Police, who routinely rely on witness reports and station surveillance to identify suspects. In December 2025, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu reported that municipal emergency services handled more than 100,000 emergency calls that year, while continuing joint public safety initiatives with MBTA transit officials across major city hubs, according to Boston.gov.
No arrest has been announced in this latest case, and key details, including the specific train line, the exact time of the assault, and whether the suspect has been identified, remain unknown. Police continue to ask anyone with information to come forward.
