A former top official at the Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Police Department pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday to three counts of child rape over incidents that allegedly took place in 2004 and 2005.
Prosecutors revealed new details in the case against John "Jay" Porter, who'd been deputy police chief in Hopkinton before being indicted by a grand jury in Middlesex County.
Porter is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student whom he'd advised while a school resource officer at Hopkinton High School, in his car on two different occasions in 2004 and 2005. Their "relationship changed during her tenth grade, going from one of a trusted adult and student to a flirtatious then sexual one," prosecutors wrote in a filing in Middlesex Superior Court.
In one incident, when the girl was excused from school early, Porter allegedly volunteered to drive her home, then began kissing her, before engaging in sexual acts. Prosecutors said he would make statements like, "this is wrong," but escalated involvement.
Later that year, after driving her home after she babysat for him, they allegedly engaged in another sex act, even after saying, "I know what we want but it can't happen," according to the court filing.
It took 13 years before the woman was ready to say what happened to her in high school, prosecutors said.
Porter's attorney said Porter looks forward to challenging the accusation made against him.
"Since learning of his indictment, he has not tried to run, he has not tried to seek out anybody who could have possibly made this allegation. He has done what he continued to do for over 30 years, be a husband, be a father and, up until recently, be a public servant," defense attorney Leonardo Angiulo said.
Porter had been placed on leave last year but no details were given at the time. He retired from the department, the town manager and police chief announced last week. They added that they were "deeply disturbed" by the allegations.
"These alleged crimes have no place in our community or anywhere else, and we extend our sympathies to the victim. The Hopkinton Police Department continues to cooperate fully with the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office," the statement read.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
Porter had been with the Hopkinton Police Department since 1992, and was honored in July with by being added to the police department's 30 Years of Service Award plaque. At the time, Chief Chief Joseph Bennett raved about Porter, saying the department was "thrilled" to recognize him and all he had achieved during his 30 years with the department.
According to the post on the department's Facebook page, Porter served as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant and lieutenant before being appointed deputy chief in October 2021.
He was the department’s first school resource officer, as well as Hopkinton’s first accreditation manager, and had been selected as the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Officer of the Year four times. Additionally, Porter had served on the Massachusetts Accreditation Committee’s standards and training board.
