BOSTON, Dec. 3, 2013—A driver for a private van company was arraigned today on charges that he sexually assaulted two developmentally-disabled riders in his care repeatedly last month, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.
ROBERT T. BUCKLEY (D.O.B. 9/14/49) of Salem was formally charged in Chelsea District Court with four counts of indecent assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability and one count of intimidation of a witness. Assistant District Attorney Ursula Knight recommended that he be held on $10,000 cash bail. Judge Matthew Nestor set bail at $1,000.
Buckley is accused of assaulting the two female victims, both in their 20s, during four rides between East Boston and Malden between Nov. 8 and Nov. 13. The assaults were recorded on surveillance cameras inside the van, which was owned by MassTran Transportation.
“These victims were made vulnerable by a disability that this man allegedly exploited,” Conley said. “The charges are shocking and disturbing. Fortunately, there are a great many people who care for these victims. They come from law enforcement, social services, and clinical disciplines, but they are all committed to protecting these innocent victims from further harm.”
As part of their routine practices, Buckley’s employers review video footage from their vehicles. On Nov. 18, they reviewed footage from one of the rides in question and observed Buckley apparently trying to cover the camera with a baseball cap. The lens was only partially obscured, however, and the resulting footage showed Buckley assaulting one of the victims.
Buckley’s employers immediately terminated him and notified the state’s Disabled Persons Protection Commission. They have fully cooperated with the investigation thus far, prosecutors said, providing State Police detectives assigned to the case with memory cards containing footage from that date and other dates. As a result, three additional incidents were discovered in which Buckley allegedly tried to cover the onboard camera and assaulted his female riders.
Based on this evidence and the results of a Nov. 26 forensic interview at the Suffolk DA’s office, troopers assigned to the Disabled Persons Protection Unit interviewed Buckley this morning, at which time he allegedly made incriminating statements, including a statement that he told one victim not to disclose the assaults. He was placed under arrest at that time.
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.
Buckley was represented today by attorney Frank Fernandez. He will return to court on Jan. 3.
–30–
All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
