Former Mass. police lieutenant changes plea to guilty in child rape case

A former police lieutenant from Winthrop, Massachusetts, who was arrested last year on suspicion of raping a child at his home changed his plea to guilty on Monday.

Winthrop Police Lt. James Feeley, 57, entered the plea at a hearing in Suffolk Superior Court and was sentenced to 4-6 years in prison plus five years probation. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

The case had been scheduled to go to trial in March. Feeley could have faced life in prison, but a deal with prosecutors — and nearly a dozen letters of support — led a judge to issue to a more lenient sentence for the confessed child rapist.

"I'm pleading guilty for very vile act acts that I committed," Feeley said in court.

Breaking: Ex-#Winthrop police Lt. James Feeley changes his plea to “guilty” of raping & assaulting an underaged girl between 2022-23. Judge sentenced him to 4-6 years correctional center +5 years probation & req. to register as sex offender.

— Oscar Margáin (@oscarjournalist.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 12:15 PM

Feeley was initially charged with rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child, but after being indicted by a grand jury, he faced seven counts of indecent assault and battery on a child, along with the child rape charge. He pleaded not guilty at a hearing in March.

He went before Suffolk Superior Court Judge James Budreau Monday to change his plea after an agreement with prosecutors, reducing an aggravated rape charge to rape, while also pleading guilty to seven other counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.

The sexual assaults of the child allegedly took place at Feeley's home, where he and his family lived, between August 2022 and December 2023, when she was between 10 and 11, Audrey Mark, the head of the district attorney's Child Protection Unit, said in court. The girl disclosed the alleged abuse to an adult on Christmas Day; prosecutors have previously said that the victim was taken to Boston Children's Hospital after being sexually assaulted by Feeley around Christmas, after about a year of the sexual abuse.

Feeley, a foster parent to several children, was taken into custody and arraigned on Dec., 27, 2023. Only a month later, a 2-year-old died after an incident at his home. Police said that case is unrelated and have found no foul play.

"The defendant's wife learned of the abuse and confronted the defendant, at which time, he did not deny the abuse," Mark said, going on to say that Feeley admitted sexually assaulting the girl to other members of the Winthrop Police Department at a charged encounter at a cemetery, then to state police investigators.

Feeley "admitted in a recorded interview that he sexually assaulted the child on five or six occasions. He stated that he orally raped the child and indecently touched the child," Mark said.

"There was a confrontation at the home," Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Hui told the judge. "Mr. Feeley then left, went to a nearby cemetery where Winthrop police were then called to respond he made numerous admissions to other Winthrop police officers."

A previously-released state police arrest narrative depicted a dramatic confession that Feeley made at Belle Isle Cemetery, where his parents are buried, to Winthrop Police Chief Terence Delehanty; his brother, Winthrop Sgt. Sean Delahanty; and members of his family on the night of Christmas.

Winthrop police found out about the allegations after Feeley's brother called Sean Delahanty that night to tell him he "was really in a bad way," Delahanty recalled, according to the report. He relayed a request to his brother, the chief, to meet Feeley at the cemetery and traveled there himself.

When he arrived, Sgt. Delahanty was told the nature of the allegations against Feeley, he recalled to the state police investigator. Delahanty told Feeley, "whatever is happening the answer is not on his hip," referring to the gun Feeley had on him. Feeley allegedly replied, "wait until I tell you what I've done."

Chief Delahanty arrived, and recalled hearing the extent of the allegations from Feeley, who apologized to the chief and the sergeant, according to the report — Feeley and the chief had known each other for decades. Believing Feeley was suicidal, the chief took Feeley's gun, and the man was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital to have a psychiatric evaluation.

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"It is, in fact, very rare for abuse to happen in a foster care setting," said Director Maria Mossaides of the Office of the Child Advocate.

Mossaides said she could only recall one other case in Massachusetts where a child was raped in a foster care setting in the last nine years she's worked at OCA. She said the key in this case was the victim coming forward.

"We want children to understand that [they can] go to a trusted teacher, a trusted family member, a neighbor, anyone that you think can help you and tell them what's going on," she said.

Feeley served in the Winthrop Police Department for 21 years and was promoted to lieutenant in 2020. After his arrest, he was initially placed on administrative leave, but by January he was no longer with the department.

Friends and family pleaded with a judge for leniency through support letters, with Feeley's wife saying in part

"I understand that he can never return to this household, marriage or have contact with my children," his wife said in a letter. "With the right support and counseling he can become a better person."

"I wish that your family has full healing from this," Budreau told Feeley. "But there's a long journey ahead for you."