A former staff member at the Boys & Girls Club of Woburn has been indicted on charges of sexually assaulting a girl over a three-year period, beginning in 2000 when she was 12, authorities said Friday. Christopher Elwell, 33, of Woburn met the girl at the club and allegedly abused her through fall 2003, the Middlesex district attorney’s office said. Elwell is facing several charges, including three counts of rape of a child. An arraignment date has not been set."
NEXT DAY UPDATE:
"Woburn man is indicted on child sex charges; Former worker accused in abuse of 12-year-old girl" by Evan Allen | Globe Staff June 01, 2014
The Woburn Boys & Girls Club is cooperating with authorities as they investigate a former employee accused of sexually abusing a child he met at the club, according to a statement from the organization today.
“We are shocked and saddened by the allegations and our thoughts are with the victim and her family at this time,” read the statement. “The safety and protection of the children we serve is the number one priority of the Boys & Girls Club.”
Christopher Elwell, 33, of Woburn allegedly met the then-12-year-old girl in the fall of 1999 when he was the junior director of physical education and she was a club member, according to a statement from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
Soon after, Elwell began meeting privately with the girl and talking with her about sex, according to the statement. He then started communicating with her outside the club, often about sexual matters, the statement said.
Over the next three years, through the fall of 2003, Elwell allegedly instructed the girl to begin an “inappropriate sexual relationship” with him, both at the club and at his home, according to the statement. He allegedly showed her pornography and naked videos of himself, and encouraged her to take nude photos of herself for him, according to the statement.
In late 2012, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Woburn Police Department and the management of the club began investigating the allegations.
You sort of wonder what took so long, but....
The district attorney’s office announced Friday that Elwell had been indicted on three counts of rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, dissemination of matter harmful to a minor, and posing a child in a state of nudity.
Isn't there some sort of statute of limitations on this stuff? I know there is not one for murder, but....
Club spokesman Casey Sherman said Elwell worked at the club until around 2007. Sherman said he could not comment on whether Elwell left the club voluntarily or was fired. Sherman also declined to comment on when and how the allegations against Elwell came to light.
Asked if there was concern that any other children were involved, Sherman said, “Not at this time.”
The Woburn Police Department and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office could not be reached for comment.
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Weird goings on in Woburn.
