A former police lieutenant from Winthrop, Massachusetts, arrested last year on suspicion of raping a child at his home is set for a plea change hearing Monday.
Winthrop Police Lt. James Feeley is due in Suffolk Superior Court for the hearing at 11 a.m., the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said Sunday. They didn't share more details. The case has been due to go to trial in March.
Feeley was initially charged with rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child, but after being indicted by a grand jury, he faced seven counts of indecent assault and battery on a child, along with the child rape charge. He pleaded not guilty at a hearing in March.
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.
The sexual assaults of the child allegedly took place at Feeley's home, where he and his family lived, between August 2022 and December 2023, when she was between 10 and 11, Audrey Mark, the head of the district attorney's Child Protection Unit, said in court. The girl disclosed the alleged abuse to an adult on Christmas Day; prosecutors have previously said that the victim was taken to Boston Children's Hospital after being sexually assaulted by Feeley around Christmas, after about a year of the sexual abuse.
"The defendant's wife learned of the abuse and confronted the defendant, at which time, he did not deny the abuse," Mark said, going on to say that Feeley admitted sexually assaulting the girl to other members of the Winthrop Police Department at a charged encounter at a cemetery, then to state police investigators.
Feeley "admitted in a recorded interview that he sexually assaulted the child on five or six occasions. He stated that he orally raped the child and indecently touched the child," Mark said.
She noted the seriousness of the allegations, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, in asking to maintain the terms of Feeley's bail, including putting up $200,000 cash or a $2 million bond, staying away from the alleged victim and wearing a GPS tracker.
Feeley's lawyer agreed to the conditions in court.
Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden has called the case troubling and said the alleged victim and her family would be provided with support.
Feeley served in the Winthrop Police Department for 21 years and was promoted to lieutenant in 2020. After his arrest, he was initially placed on administrative leave, but by January he was no longer with the department.
A state police arrest narrative released previously depicted a dramatic confession Feeley made at Belle Isle Cemetery, where his parents are buried, to Winthrop Police Chief Terence Delehanty; his brother, Winthrop Sgt. Sean Delahanty; and members of his family on the night of Christmas.
Winthrop police found out about the allegations after Feeley's brother called Sean Delahanty that night to tell him he "was really in a bad way," Delahanty recalled, according to the report. He relayed a request to his brother, the chief, to meet Feeley at the cemetery and traveled there himself.
When he arrived, Sgt. Delahanty was told the nature of the allegations against Feeley, he recalled to the state police investigator. Delahanty told Feeley, "whatever is happening the answer is not on his hip," referring to the gun Feeley had on him. Feeley allegedly replied, "wait until I tell you what I've done."
Chief Delahanty arrived, and recalled hearing the extent of the allegations from Feeley, who apologized to the chief and the sergeant, according to the report — Feeley and the chief had known each other for decades. Believing Feeley was suicidal, the chief took Feeley's gun, and the man was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital to have a psychiatric evaluation.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
Sgt. Delahanty recalled, according to the report, that Feeley couldn't explain why he had sexually assaulted the child.
