Crime & Safety

Former School Janitor Guilty of Child Rape

A local man who was formerly employed as a janitor at both Marblehead High School and Coffin Elementary School was found guilty of child rape Wednesday.

A local man who worked as a janitor at both and was found guilty Wednesday afternoon on charges of child rape with force and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

An Essex Superior Court jury found Richard Jones, 43, of 29 Auburndale Road, Marblehead, guilty on both charges in Salem Superior Court - Judge Timothy Feeley will sentence Jones tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Jones was employed as a janitor at when the charges were raised in 2009; prior to that he had served as a janitor at MHS for five years.

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Essex Assistant District Attorney Kim Faitella proved that between February 26 and December 31, 2001, Jones forcibly raped and sexually assaulted two young girls, aged 12 and 9 at the time.  “He violated a sacred trust in a most abhorrent way,” Faitella said.  The victims, who are now 20 and 17, testified at the trial.

Jones was represented by Attorney Jessica Thrall.  He faces up to life in prison on each of the 3 counts of rape of a child with force and a maximum of 10 years on each of the 2 counts of indecent assault and battery charges.

Faitella thanked retired Marblehead Police Sargeant Marion Keating for her help in the investigation.  She also praised the work of Essex Victim Witness Advocate Kathy Draper.


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