Dean of students at middle school in Roxbury charged with raping underage former student

The dean of students at James P. Timilty Middle School was charged with four counts of aggravated rape on Monday for allegedly having sexual relations with an underage child, who previously attended the school, over the course of several months this year. Manuel Mendes, 38, of Hyde Park, was arrested Friday and arraigned Monday in the West Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court, according to the Suffolk District Attorney’s office. “This is the ultimate betrayal of a child’s trust,” Suffolk County D.A. Rachael Rollins said in a statement. “As an educator and school official, Mr. Mendes had a duty to provide a safe and supportive environment for this young person to learn and grow. Instead, he allegedly used his position of trust and authority to prey on the victim.”If Mendes posts bail, which was set at $35,000, he’ll be required to have no contact with the alleged victim and any witnesses, keep away from the Timilty school and any past or present students, have no unsupervised contact with children under 16, surrender his passport, and submit to GPS monitoring.Prosecutor Amanda Paull said in court that Mendes knew the alleged victim, who is under 16-years-old, as a former student of the school. During a forensic interview last month, according to Rollins’ office, the victim told investigators that there were “multiple assaults” by Mendes beginning in February 2020 and continuing until the summer. Digital evidence and text messages related to the allegations were also recovered during the investigation, the D.A.’s office reported. Boston Public Schools officials said in a statement, as reported by the Boston Globe, that they immediately placed Mendes on paid administrative leave after learning about the arrest and assured that BPS remains a “safe, welcoming learning environment.”Rollins’ office noted that “despite the egregious nature of the charges against Mr. Mendes,” prosecutors were unable to request that Mendes be held based on dangerousness because he has not been charged with an offense that would make him eligible under state law.The Supreme Judicial Court ruled that statutory rape of a child “does not involve the predicate level of force or threat of force necessary to qualify under the dangerousness statute,” though Rollins said she hopes to work with the Legislature to change that.She also urged parents in the Timilty community to talk to their children in light of the arrest. “Make sure they know that they can talk to you about things that make them uncomfortable or scared,” Rollins said. “If they raise any issues that cause concern, families in Suffolk County should reach out to my office or our partners in law enforcement or at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County.  There are resources and services available to children and parents.”Authorities asked anyone who believes a child in Mass. may be a victim of abuse to call the Department of Children and Families’ Child at Risk Hotline at 1-800-792-5200. Mendes is expected to return to court on Jan. 15, 2021.

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