A 25-year-old Hopkinton man is facing a first-degree child molestation charge. Warwick police said they arrested him last Tuesday and received a report of alleged sexual abuse of a minor last week. Police identified him as Zachary R. Olson.
Olson was arrested and charged on October 27. Officers received a report of alleged sexual abuse of a minor last week, according to WJAR. The station reported that Warwick police have not described the alleged conduct behind the charge.
Investigation Still Active, Police Say
Officials said the investigation remains ongoing, and the station's report notes that no additional details were being released at this time. No further information about the circumstances of the report or Olson's alleged connection to the child has been made public.
Under Rhode Island law, first-degree child molestation sexual assault is defined as sexual penetration with a person age 14 or younger, according to Rhode Island General Laws. The statute does not specify the facts of Olson's case, and no court docket, arraignment date, or plea for him has been verified.
Other Child Molestation Cases in the State
Rhode Island prosecutors have pursued similar charges elsewhere in the state in recent years. In one case, the Rhode Island Attorney General's office said a West Warwick man charged with child molestation was scheduled for arraignment in Kent County Superior Court. In another, the Attorney General's office said a Warwick man was sentenced to 15 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions after pleading to sexually assaulting a male victim under age 14 between 2014 and 2016, according to a separate Rhode Island Attorney General press release. Those cases are unrelated to Olson's and are not evidence of a broader pattern.
As of now, police have not released additional information about Olson's case, and the investigation continues.
