BOSTON, Aug. 6, 2014—A 72-year-old man will spend the next 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a young girl who years later found the strength to come forward and testify against him, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

HENRY PEARL BROWN, Jr. (D.O.B. 1/26/42), formerly of Boston and more recently of Westbrook, Maine, pleaded guilty yesterday to rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.  Suffolk Superior Court Judge Garry Inge sentenced him to eight to 10 years in prison. Brown was additionally sentenced to 10 years of probation upon his release and may be held even longer under the state’s Sexually Dangerous Person statute.

Had the case proceeded to trial, Assistant District Attorney Maryrose Anthes of the DA’s Child Protection Unit would have presented evidence and testimony to prove that Brown repeatedly assaulted the girl, whom he knew through her family, beginning when she was 6 years old and ending when she was a teenager. The victim first disclosed the assaults to a high school acquaintance, later to a family member, and to Boston Police last year.

Now an adult, she delivered a victim impact statement at Brown’s sentencing.

“I’m 31 years old and finally have the courage to speak up,” she told the court. “I don’t need to feel afraid anymore. He can’t hurt me now …. It’s my turn to put my foot down and face my fears.  It’s time for my voice to be heard.  I’m not living a lie anymore.”

“We fought for years to extend the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse precisely for cases like this one,” Conley said. “Disclosing abuse can be the most difficult thing a person ever does. It can take years, even decades, for victims to find that strength – and when they do, the criminal justice system should be ready to help. As a result, the defendant has not only admitted what he did, and not only admits that it was wrong, but will also remain behind bars at least into his 80s.”

Conley spearheaded efforts to extend the statute of limitations after repeatedly learning of older cases that could not be prosecuted because – as in Brown’s case – the victims did not disclose their abuse to law enforcement until many years later. Those efforts paid off in 2006 when the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse was extended from 15 years to 27 years. In Brown’s case, prosecutors were also prepared to show that the defendant had moved from Boston to Maine, effectively stopping the clock on the statute of limitations.

In an unrelated case yesterday, another man was arraigned for a different alleged sexual assault on a child in Boston.

ERROLL FOREMAN (D.O.B. 1/23/65) was arraigned in Dorchester Municipal Court on three counts of rape of a child and a single count each of assault and battery and making threats to commit a crime.  Judge James Coffey ordered that Foreman be held without bail while he awaits a dangerousness hearing that is scheduled to take place tomorrow, during which prosecutors will argue that Foreman is too dangerous to be released and should be held for the 90-day period allowed under Massachusetts law.

Foreman was known to the victim as a friend of her family.  He is accused of sexually assaulting her while driving her to a summer program Thursday morning.  The victim disclosed the assaults to program staff after Foreman dropped her off and was transported to Boston Medical Center.

Sexual assault can happen to any person of any age. While the victims of any crime are asked to call 911 in an emergency, the survivors of sexual violence in Suffolk County can also call the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center’s 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center provides medical advocacy, legal services, counseling, and other services to victims of rape and sexual assault.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.