BOSTON, June 25, 2015— A former Allston man was indicted yesterday in a series of sexual assaults in the Allston area, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

A Suffolk County grand jury yesterday returned indictments charging STEVEN LENT (D.O.B. 7/14/88) with rape, assault with intent to rape, and four counts of indecent assault and battery in connection with four separate assaults that occurred in August and May.  Lent was arraigned in Brighton Municipal Court after his May 22 arrest by Boston Police.  Yesterday’s indictments move the case to Suffolk Superior Court, where arraignment is scheduled for July 9.

Boston Police detectives assigned to the department’s Sexual Assault Unit and Suffolk prosecutors assigned to the DA’s Family Protection and Sexual Assault Bureau identified Lent as the person who committed two sexual assaults on Aug. 14 and two similar assaults on May 4.  In each case, Lent allegedly approached a woman who was not known to him from behind and assaulted her.

The first charged assault occurred at approximately 7:50 p.m. in the area of 39 Brighton Ave.  Lent fled on foot after the victim screamed.  Approximately 40 minutes later, Lent allegedly assaulted a second woman in the area of Quint and Brighton avenues and again fled when the victim screamed.

According to prosecutors, Lent assaulted another woman shortly after 5:20 p.m. on May 4 in the area of Chester Street; he fled when the victim attempted to punch him.  A fourth victim was assaulted on Commonwealth Avenue  at approximately 7:00 p.m. that same date.

Boston University Police provided Boston Police detectives with surveillance images that were used to identify Lent as the assailant in the May 4 attacks and he was then linked to the earlier assaults through additional video, witness descriptions, and physical evidence.

Prior to his arrest, Lent lived in a Brighton Avenue apartment near the scene of each attack.  Similar incidents in the surrounding area remain under investigation.  Since Lent’s Brighton arraignment, he has resided in New Hampshire after posting $50,000 bail with conditions that he obey a curfew and stay out of Allston-Brighton.

Sexual assault can happen to anyone. 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.

Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum led the grand jury investigation resulting in yesterday’s indictments.  Kerry Kolditz is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate.

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