Sgt. Timothy Brennan attends a disciplinary hearing. He stands accused of failing to report child rape allegations against John “Jay” Porter, a former deputy chief of the Hopkinton Police Department
A Hopkinton, Massachusetts, police sergeant accused of failing to report child rape allegations has been fired.
The town's select board voted Thursday to terminate Sgt. Timothy Brennan from the department after he allegedly didn't report the allegations against John "Jay" Porter, a former deputy chief, despite having known about them for years.
After a Jan. 19 meeting, the town said it tried to "solve the matter mutually" but "discussions were unsuccessful," which led to Thursday's vote.
Brennan's termination is effective Feb. 12, the town said.
Porter pleaded not guilty in May 2023 to three counts of child rape. He's accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in 2004 and 2005 when he was a school resource officer.
The town hired an outside investigator after finding out Brennan may have had prior knowledge of the alleged assaults and not acted.
During the Jan. 19 meeting, multiple exhibits, including a transcript of an interview with an outside investigator, were presented. That transcript revealed that Brennan admitted that the alleged victim told him about what she described a consensual relationship with Porter as early as 2015.
Based on Brennan's recollections, the woman — then in her 20s — originally described the relationship as having started when she was an adult but would eventually detail things that happened between the two of them when she was 14.
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.
Hopkinton police released documents related to the case on its website.
The sergeant had an opportunity to speak at the meeting and in prepared statement, he detailed his 36-year career and pointed out that he's had no prior disciplinary issues.
He described his relationship with the survivor as one that was professional and supportive and that it started while he was working as her school resource officer.
Porter was indicted on the child rape charges May 1. Prosecutors said he assaulted the girl in his car on two different occasions in 2004 and 2005. He will go on trial for the charges against him.
